The Guide Service is closed on Sundays during the non-peak season, but the Capitol remains open to visit on your own. You are not required to take a guided tour. The waiting area to look through the Capitol on your own is located next to the guided tour line, beyond the East Front Plaza. Please check with a Guide or a Capitol Police officer for directions. Brochures which show you what is in the Capitol and where to go are available upon your entry into the building.
Signs mark the waiting areas.
Please remember that the lines to enter the Capitol during the height of the visitor season March through August can be quite long. During the non-peak visitor season September through February please enter the Capitol up the East Central Staircase to take a guided tour. The Guide Service offers both reserved tours from large groups, and non-reserved tours for individuals and groups. In addition, the Guide Service conducts special tours prior to the Capitol opening to the public, and these tours are arranged through the office of your Member of Congress. Reservations may be made up to six months in advance.