This is a very popular tour with families, and we advise arriving as early as possible. The tour concludes with a firearms demonstration by an agency sharpshooter. The closest Metrorail stations are Federal Triangle and Metro Center. The court is in session from October 1, until the end of April. Generally, the court is in session the last two weeks of each month during that time period.
Oral arguments are open to the public.
When in session, court begins each day at 10 a.m., with a line forming outside the building. We suggest arriving early, especially if the court will be hearing a controversial case. There is usually a line for a quick glimpse of business, which can last anywhere from 3-5 minutes. The lecture takes place in the courtroom, and deals with the history and architecture of the court. There is also a short film available about the inner workings of the Supreme Court.