Featured

Self-Guided Tours on Capitol Hill
Visitors can tour many highlights on Capitol Hill without registering.
More »

Featured

Power to Save Program
At the AOC we are leading the effort to conserve energy across Capitol Hill.
More »

Featured

Orchid Show at the U.S. Botanic Garden.
Exploring Orchid Diversity
Found on every continent except Antarctica, orchids showcase a wide spectrum of...
More »

Primary tabs

Featured

Architect's Notebook: One of My Favorite Things

By Stephen T. Ayers

The 11th Architect reveals his favorite and most important part of this organization: the spirit of AOC employees!

AOC employees exemplify One Team, One Mission.

Our Blog

Read about the art, architecture and work on the Capitol Hill written by AOC's experts.

Teaming Up for Accessibility
June 17, 2013
Buildings & Grounds, Who We Are
A team of tradecrafts experts at the AOC transform an office into a completely wheelchair-accessible suite in less than four weeks.More »
The Many Hats of the AOC from A to Z
June 10, 2013
Who We Are
From the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation to the Zoning Commission — the Architect of the Capitol, both individually and organizationally, has many roles that extend well beyond what most might expect.More »
Inspired by the Past, Preserving for the Future
June 7, 2013
Art, Who We Are
Meet the AOC's decorative painters at the Library of Congress who work to preserve the ornate designs of one of the world's most beautiful buildings.More »
Nitrate vault at the Library of Congress Packard Campus
Beyond the Dome – Packard Campus of the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center
June 3, 2013
Who We Are, Buildings & Grounds
The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is responsible for managing all of the buildings and grounds on Capitol Hill, but it also maintains several facilities across the National Capital Region. One such facility is the Library of Congress Packard Campus of the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, located 80 miles away from the Capitol in Culpeper, Virginia. I recently had the privilege to peak inside this fascinating facility.More »
Melvin Wells has applied what they learned at SOME to excel at AOC.
Moving Offices. Improving Lives.
May 23, 2013
Who We Are
AOC's partnership with So Others Might Eat (SOME) helps "empower people out of homelessness and poverty" with their Center for Employment Training.More »
A "Slight" Capitol Contribution
May 13, 2013
History
Recently, during research on the third Architect of the Capitol, Charles Bulfinch, we stumbled across a worker with an interesting (and largely forgotten) story.More »
A Few of My Favorite Things
April 22, 2013
Exhibits
Sharon Gang, Communications & Marketing Manager for the Capitol Visitor Center, explores the new exhibit, "Conflict and Compromise."More »
More Historically Accurate: Lincoln or Vampire Hunter?
April 15, 2013
History
AOC Public Affairs Officer Matt Guilfoyle watches "Lincoln" and "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter"-- and is surprised by which film more accurately depicts the U.S. Capitol.More »
Squirrels on the Capitol Grounds
Squirrels on Capitol Grounds
April 11, 2013
Buildings & Grounds, History
When walking across the Capitol Grounds there is one critter that can consistently be seen out and about – the squirrel. When did squirrels first come to Washington, D.C. and how did they end up here? Archivist Andria Leo took a look through AOC’s historical records to investigate the history of the squirrel at the Capitol. More »
Top 5 Spots to Enjoy Spring on Capitol Grounds
April 8, 2013
Buildings & Grounds
Spring in Washington, D.C. is one of the most beautiful times to visit the nation’s Capitol; it is also the busiest. Learn about five beautiful, and less known, spots to enjoy the warm weather on the Capitol Grounds.More »
In Bloom: Jeepers creepers, it must be spring!
April 2, 2013
Buildings & Grounds
Bill McLaughlin, Plant Curator at the U.S. Botanic Garden highlights plants currently in bloom at the U.S. Capitol.More »
Behind the Scrim: An Inside Look at the Supreme Court Restoration
March 26, 2013
Projects
Take a look behind the scrim at the restoration work underway on the U.S. Supreme Court Building's West Front façade to address deterioration due to age, weather and nature. Take a look behind the scrim at the work. More »
A Cornerstone of American History
March 18, 2013
History
Walk in the footsteps of the masons and laborers who worked the quarry at Government Island in Aquia, Virginia, to gather stone for the U.S. Capitol more than 200 years ago. More »
Capitol Illumination
March 12, 2013
History, Who We Are
The AOC works to make the Capitol Dome, an enduring symbol of democracy recognized throughout the world, visible to all throughout the night. Learn about this history of the lighting of this iconic building.More »
How the Crypt Got its Name
March 4, 2013
Architecture, History
Is anyone buried in the U.S. Capitol? The term "crypt" has long referred to a space beneath the main floor of a church or a chamber in a mausoleum. For many of us it suggests somber, stony silence and perhaps dusty coffins. The Capitol Crypt, however, is a different thing altogether. More »

Pages

Printer-friendly version