U.S. Capitol (historic chambers and Crypt)

The United States Capitol stands on Capitol Hill at First Street SE in Washington, D.C., and has been the meeting place of the U.S. Congress since 1800. Its cornerstone was laid by George Washington in 1793, using a design by William Thornton, and later architects including Benjamin Latrobe and Charles Bulfinch shaped the building. British troops set fire to the Capitol on August 24, 1814, during the War of 1812, and it was rebuilt by 1829. As the country grew, Thomas U. Walter designed the north and south wings, and the cast-iron dome, topped by Thomas Crawford's Statue of Freedom, was completed in 1866 while the Civil War was still being fought. The Capitol Visitor Center, opened in 2008 beneath the East Front, now serves as the entrance and houses exhibits including a replica of the Capitol dome and original documents. Guided tours begin in the visitor center orientation theater, then lead through the Crypt, the Rotunda and the National Statuary Hall. The Crypt, on the ground floor beneath the Rotunda, was intended as the burial place of George Washington, though he is buried at Mount Vernon. The Rotunda is decorated with Constantino Brumidi's fresco The Apotheosis of Washington in the dome's canopy, a frieze of American history, and eight large paintings of historical scenes. National Statuary Hall, the old chamber of the House of Representatives from 1807 to 1857, now contains statues contributed by the states. The Old Senate Chamber and the Old Supreme Court Chamber, restored to their mid-19th-century appearance, are also part of the Capitol's story, and the Brumidi Corridors show the work of the Italian-born artist. The curatorial approach is a guided walking tour, in which a trained guide explains architecture, art and legislative history in sequence. The building is under the care of the Architect of the Capitol, which runs a continuous program of conservation, including a major dome restoration completed in 2016. Tours are free, and the whole tour lasts about 90 minutes, with an additional hour recommended for the visitor center exhibits. Congressional activity and security events can change access, so visitors should check visitthecapitol.gov for current conditions.