What's Happening at the Capitol In May

Explore the Rotunda Through History

Journey through the history of the U.S. Capitol's Rotunda and experience how this ceremonial space has evolved through art, architecture and purpose over the last 200 years.

Start Your Journey

Spirit of '76 Programs

Join us for our special exhibit "Spirit of '76" and onsite programs to discover how Congress and the nation have marked milestone anniversaries of the Declaration of Independence.

Special Guest Friday, May 15, at 1 p.m., Historian Elizabeth A. Novara spotlights the Women's Suffrage Movement in 1876.

• Family Programs, Mondays and Saturdays, 11 a.m.
  • Listen to Capitol Guides share stories about working at the Capitol
• Curator's Talk, Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m.
  • Join a Curator-led tour of the special exhibit
• Object Spotlight, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m.
  • Take a closer look at an object that tells the story of America in 1876
• Seen on Screen, Thursdays, 1 p.m.
  • Watch a costumed reenactment of the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition
• Mapping Histories, Friday, 11 a.m.
  • Learn about the Electoral College map of 1876

Program Calendar

Specialty Tours

Be sure to pick up same-day tour passes at the North Information Desk in Emancipation Hall.

• Halls of the Senate, Monday-Friday 11 a.m.*
• Votes for Women, Monday-Friday 12 p.m.*
• Indigenous Peoples in Capitol Art, Monday-Friday, 1 p.m.*
• Remembering the Revolution, Monday-Friday, 2 p.m.
• Heroes of Civil Rights, Monday-Friday, 3 p.m.*
• Outdoor Tour, Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.
  • Meet the Tour Guide outside at the north entrance of the Capitol Visitor Center

*These specialty tours will not be offered Monday, May 25.

Tour Descriptions

Capitol Conversations

Join the conversation online, Wednesdays at 2 p.m.

• Asian and Pacific Island Leaders Addressing Congress, May 6
• Remembering the Revolution, May 13
• The U.S. Capitol Grounds: An Evolution, May 20
• What's Growing on the Capitol Grounds?, May 27

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