Congressmen Steve King

Constituent Services 

Tour Form

I am happy to assist western Iowans in planning their trip to Washington, D.C. I can arrange a tour of the U.S. Capitol with a member of my staff or help plan other sightseeing adventures by providing transportation tips, points of interest and a list of must-sees.

Experiences like seeing the U.S. Constitution, listening to a debate on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, or seeing the price of freedom depicted in one of the many memorials will last a lifetime and shape how you look at America.

When planning your trip, please consult the list of attractions below. It is recommended that you make reservations a few weeks to months in advance, as spaces are limited and are distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis.

When you visit our nation’s capital, you are welcome to stop by my Washington office, located at 1131 Longworth House Office Building, which is directly across the street from the Capitol.

If you would like to schedule a tour please email, IA05.tours@mail.house.gov. Please be sure to provide your name, address, telephone number, email address, dates of your visit and the size of your group.

Galleries:

House and Senate galleries are open for Capitol visitors to observe debate when Congress is in session. Gallery passes may be obtained through my Washington office in person during regular business hours.

Washington, D.C.
1131 Longworth Office Building
Washington D.C. 20515
Phone: 202.225.4426
Fax: 202.225.3193

White House Tours:

Self-guided group tours, available from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday, are available only to parties of 10 or more people, regardless of age or type of group, and are arranged through the Congressional office. Please note we are unable to combine small groups to meet the 10 person minimum. These requests will be accepted no less than 2 weeks in advance; however, it is recommended these tours are scheduled approximately 4-5 months before the requested date. The White House Visitors Bureau does not confirm reservations until one month prior, so notice of confirmation will not come until that time.

You may request a White House tour by submitting the following security information below to IA05.tours@mail.house.gov:

A designated group contact person, who must submit their day, evening, and local (i.e. cell phone or hotel number while in DC) phone numbers.
Street mailing address with zip code for group or group contact person
Date(s) requested
Group name
Age range/grade (i.e. ages 12-13 yrs. old/7th grade) or Adult
Total number in group, specifically including number of students and number of chaperones, if applicable
Full names, dates of birth, Social Security number or country of origin and passport number (for foreign visitors who do not have a social security number) and cities, states they live

Please note: Due to the high demand for White House tours and limited availability of tickets, tour access remains limited. Advance notice is recommended, as tickets are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Tours should not be considered reserved until the White House Visitor’s Bureau has confirmed the date, time, and security information.

Those unable to obtain a White House tour are welcome to visit the White House Visitor’s Center, which is open to the public. The Center is located at the southeast corner of 15th and E Streets and is open seven days a week from 7:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. It features many aspects of the White House, including its architecture, furnishings, first families, social events, and relations with the press and world leaders, as well as a thirty-minute video. Please allow between 20 minutes to one hour to explore the exhibits. The White House Historical Association also sponsors a gift shop area. Please note that restrooms are available, but food service is not.

Please note the following guidelines regarding the White House tours:

Groups should enter the White House complex from the south side of East Executive Avenue near the Southeast Gate. Groups arriving by bus should instruct their driver to drop them off at the southwest corner of 15th and E Streets, where they will be met by a uniformed Park Service Ranger.
Groups should arrive 15 minutes before their scheduled tour time. Late arrivals may not be accommodated.
All persons and items entering the White House are screened through a security process. Individuals may be requested to consent to an interview or additional security procedures before they are admitted to the White House complex.
All guests 15 years of age or older will be required to present photo identification with information exactly matching the name previously submitted for clearance. Individuals whose identification does not exactly match the name or data cleared for entry may be denied admittance.
Prohibited items include, but are not limited to, the following: handbags, book bags, backpacks, purses, food and beverages of any kind, tobacco products, personal grooming items (e.g. makeup, hair brushes or combs, lip and/or hand lotions, etc.), strollers, any pointed objects (pens, knitting needles, etc.) aerosol containers, cameras, video recorders or any type of recording device, guns, ammunition, fireworks, electric stun guns, mace, martial arts weapons/devices, or knives of any size.
The U.S. Secret Service reserves the right to prohibit any other personal items. Neither the White House nor the U.S. Secret Service will provide coat or package check facilities. Without exception, individuals who arrive with prohibited items will not be permitted to enter the White House.

Mobility-Impaired / Wheelchairs
Visitors scheduled for tours who require the loan of a wheelchair should notify the officer at the Visitors Entrance upon arrival. Unfortunately, reservations are not possible. Visitors in wheelchairs, or with other mobility disabilities, use the same Visitors Entrance and are escorted by ramp from the entrance level to the Ground floor, and by the elevator from the Ground floor to the State floor.

General Tour Information
All visitors should call the 24-hour Visitors Office information line at 202-456-7041 to determine if any last minute changes have been made in the tour schedule.

Parking
The closest Metrorail stations to the White House are Federal Triangle (blue and orange lines), Metro Center (blue, orange, and red lines), and McPherson Square (blue and orange lines). On-street parking is not available near the White House, and use of public transportation is strongly encouraged.

Restrooms/Public telephones
The nearest restrooms and public telephones to the White House are in the Ellipse Visitor Pavilion (the park area south of the White House) and in the White House Visitor Center. Restrooms or public telephones are not available at the White House.

Hearing-Impaired
Tours for hearing-impaired groups of ten or more may be requested through one’s Member of Congress. The Visitors Office TDD (telephone device for the deaf) is 202-456-2121.

Visually-Impaired
Tours for visually-impaired groups of ten or more may be requested through one’s Member of Congress. Guide animals are permitted in the White House.

Capitol Tours:


Capitol tours last approximately 45-75 minutes, and are offered through my office at 9:00 a.m. Monday through Friday. Since different sized groups must follow different guidelines set by the Capitol Guide Service, groups of 15 or fewer people are asked to fill out a separate request than groups of 16 to 40.

The following information must be submitted for any type of Capitol tour request:

Dates requested
Name of group
Number in group
Group contact person and contact information including home (Iowa) and local (D.C. hotel or mobile) phone numbers
Street mailing address with zip code for group or group contact person

Strict security forbids visitors from carrying any sort of sharp or potentially dangerous item, any sort of liquid or liquid container, as well as any scented oils or lotions, makeup, or lip balm. Cameras and cellular phones are permitted throughout most of the tour, but may be checked before entering the House chamber.

Groups of 15 or fewer are asked to make their request at least 7 days, but no more than 3 months, in advance of the requested tour date. It is recommended that groups of 16 to 40 make reservations at least four months in advance.

Public Capitol Tours
Those groups which are unable to obtain a reservation can still attempt to participate in a public tour. To take part in a guided public tour, visitors must obtain free tickets. These are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, at the Capitol Guide Service kiosk located along the curving sidewalk southwest of the Capitol (near the intersection of First Street, S.W. and Independence Avenue). Ticket distribution begins at approximately 9:00 a.m. daily and continues as long as tickets are available for that day. Since these tours are on a first-come, first-served basis, it is suggested that groups arrive early. Those that are able to make a group reservation must report to the same kiosk location at the scheduled date and time. At the appropriate time, ticket holders are directed to the South Visitor Receiving Facility. From here they will proceed to the Capitol to begin their tour. Maximum tour size is 40 people.

Other Area Attractions:

For all other tours, first-time visitors to Washington D.C. will be pleasantly surprised with the “tourist-friendly” nature of the city. All other area attractions are accessible to the public, so tours can be made on an individual basis. Visitors interested in information about notable attractions such as the Supreme Court, Library of Congress, Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Holocaust and Smithsonian Museums, and the National Archives (to name a few) can gather information regarding sites of interest at http://www.house.gov/house/tour_dc.shtml .

For your convenience, I have listed brief summaries of the most popular attractions below:

My favorite place to recommend to Iowans is the National Archives, which holds our nation’s most important documents, the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum - The Museum is located just south of Independence Ave., SW. between 14th Street and Raoul Wallenberg Place (formerly 15th St.). There is an entrance also on 14th street, next to the Bureau of Printing & Engraving. Permanent exhibition is recommended for ages 11 and up. Daniel's Story is recommended for ages 8 and up. The visit will take from an 1 1/2 to 3 hours. ONLY the Permanent Exhibition requires a timed entry pass to begin the self-guided tour of the Museum's primary exhibition. Passes are FREE and are NOT required for the Museum's other exhibitions, memorials, resources and facilities. Metro Stop: Smithsonian on the blue or orange lines exit at 12th and Independence Avenue. Telephone: (202) 488-0400.

Smithsonian Museums - The entrances to the West Building are located on Constitution Avenue at 6th Street, NW, on Madison Drive at 6th Street, NW, and on 4th Street between Constitution Avenue and Madison Drive, NW. The entrance for the East Building is located on 4th Street between Constitution Avenue and Madison Drive, NW.

The Washington Monument - On the Mall at 15th Street, SW. Tickets are required. They are free and available at the booth located on the west side of 15th Street, NW, on the Mall. Advance Tickets (small fee charged): Ticketmaster: (DC Metro) 202-432-7328 (Outside DC) 1-800-551-7328. Facilities: Bookstore, Restrooms, Museum. Information: 202-426-6841. Metro stop: Smithsonian

Bureau of Engraving and Printing - 14th & C Streets, SW. See how US currency is printed. Provides public tours Monday through Friday continually from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m., leaving every 15 minutes.
You should enter at the Visitor Entrance on 14th Street. Group tours not available. Telephone: (202) 874-3188. Metro: Smithsonian.

The Library of Congress - Located on First Street SE between Independence Avenue and East Capitol Street, the Library of Congress houses more than 119 million items, including the papers of 23 presidents of the United States, Thomas Jefferson's rough draft of the Declaration of Independence and the earliest motion picture print.
There are guided tours daily, Monday through Saturday, at 10:30, and 11:30 am, 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 pm. Spanish language tours are offered Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 12:30 pm. All tours start in the Visitors' Center in the Jefferson Building.

The Supreme Court - First Street & Maryland Avenue, NE. Open Monday through Friday except on Federal holidays. Tours & public lectures are conducted in the courtroom from 9:00am to 4:30pm every hour on the half hour, except when court is in session. No tours are given during August. Reservations can be made through you Senators' or Representatives' office. When the Court is in session tours are only given on Thursdays and Fridays. To see the Court in session, wait in two lines outside the building. The lines start forming around 8:30 a.m. so get there early! Public lectures are conducted in the courtroom from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. when the Court is not in session. Telephone: (202) 479-3000. Metro: Capitol South or Union Station.