Capitol Hill

Capitol Hill, Washington D.C.: The Civic Architecture Worth a Day

The Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, completed in 1897, has one of the most extraordinary interiors in Washington. The main reading room, a 160-foot octagonal domed hall with elaborate mosaics, stained glass, and gilded ironwork, was built at a moment when the United States wanted its national library to announce that the country had arrived culturally. You can stand in the visitors’ gallery above the reading room for free, any weekday, and look down at one of the most deliberately ambitious public interiors in America. Most Capitol Hill visitors walk past the building entirely focused on the Capitol dome across the street.

The US Capitol and the Library of Congress sit 100 metres apart on Capitol Hill, and both are accessible free of charge to the public, which is an unusual situation for two buildings of this architectural and historical significance.

The Capitol

Tours of the US Capitol building are free and run through the Capitol Visitor Center underground beneath the east lawn. Book in advance through your congressional representative’s office (house.gov or senate.gov) or use the same-day ticket allocation at the Visitor Center. The tour covers the Rotunda (Brumidi’s fresco, The Apotheosis of Washington, covers the dome’s inner canopy), the National Statuary Hall (where each state contributed two statues, the marble acoustic properties of the room allowed John Quincy Adams to overhear opponents talking across it), and the Capitol Crypt. Security checks are airport-level; plan time.

When Congress is in session, you can watch House and Senate proceedings from public galleries, though photography is prohibited. Checking the congressional calendar at congress.gov shows which committees are meeting when.

The Supreme Court

The Supreme Court Building on First Street NE admits visitors on non-argument days for a self-guided tour of the main hall and permanent exhibits. On argument days (October through April, Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays when the court is sitting), seats are available in the public gallery on a first-come first-served basis, the line forms before 9am for popular cases. Oral argument, where justices interrogate lawyers for 30 minutes each side, is one of the most interesting legal proceedings you can observe anywhere in the world and is completely free.

Eastern Market

Eastern Market (225 7th St SE, open Tuesday through Sunday) is the working-class counterpart to the more polished civic architecture on the Hill. The indoor market hall has butchers, fishmongers, produce vendors, and a prepared food section. The outdoor flea market on weekends extends along 7th Street with craft vendors and second-hand goods. The lunch crowd here is Capitol Hill residents, not tourists, which shows in the prices. Good cheese counter; excellent breakfast inside the main hall.

Where to Eat

Ambar on Capitol Hill (523 8th St SE) does Balkan-style small plates at a fixed price per person around $40-55, genuinely unusual food for Washington and consistently well-reviewed. For cheaper options, the Eastern Market food hall does better value than anywhere in the tourist corridor around the Mall.

Where to Stay

The Hyatt Regency on New Jersey Avenue is the most convenient large hotel. For something with more character, the Kimpton George Hotel on E Street has good rooms and an interesting political art collection throughout the property. Budget travellers are better based in the Adams Morgan or Dupont Circle neighbourhoods and Metro-commuting to Capitol Hill.