The Capitol

One day I visited the Capitol, taking pictures along the way.

I'd arranged a tour. After an introductory video, we walked around the complex. There are many statues around, mostly of presidents. Naturally, the highlight of the tour was the rotunda.

Our tour group peeked in the original Supreme Court chamber. The Supreme Court used this chamber for sixty years, and was housed in the Capitol building for over a hundred years. So much for supposedly temporary quarters.

We also stopped by the crypt room. Originally it was intended that George Washington be buried there in the center of the Capitol. However, it took too long to build the Capitol--by the time it was done, no one wanted to disinter him to move him there.

I learned a decent amount on the tour and liked the rotunda but overall found the tour none too exciting. I was disappointed that we didn't get to see the current House or Senate chambers. Also, I noticed lots of informative signs around. We didn't get to read them because we were shepherded around by our tour guide. I wonder who gets to read them beside legislators and staff. It's too bad, as judging by their number they must have more information than conveyed by the guide.

After the tour I explored the exhibition hall. It has exhibits on the Capitol and its history, as well as on the evolution of policies within the House and Senate. Some of the stories about debates, bills, compromises, amendments, parliamentary activities, investigations, corruption, and power brokering were quite interesting. For instance, the Senate was originally a closed-door body until the state legislatures--who at the time often directed how their senators should vote--protested the lack of visibility and accountability.

I also learned about the jobs of people in the building, and about the short subway connecting the Capitol to its associated office buildings.

In exhibition hall, there are lots of models showing details of parts of the Capitol building, and models of the building at various points in time. These latter models are smart because they also show the the buildings near the Capitol. For instance, one can see when Union Station and the Supreme Court Building showed up.

The exhibitions are well done. Because I read everything, I spent a long time in the exhibition hall.