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Self-Guided Tours on Capitol Hill
Visitors can tour many highlights on Capitol Hill without registering.
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Stephen T. Ayers, FAIA, CCM, LEED AP
On February 24, 2010, President Barack Obama nominated Mr. Ayers to serve as...
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Blue heron carved in stone at the focal point, the central fountain, in the perimeter wall surrounding Capitol Square.
Architect's Notebook: Design with Purpose
Architect of the Capitol Stephen Ayers describes his love of birds, especially...
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News & Notices

Fall 2018 Issue of Tholos Magazine Now Available

November 19, 2018

Tholos Magazine cover, Volume 9 Fall 2018.
The latest edition of the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) employee magazine, Tholos, is now available. Highlights include the articles below. Architect's Notebook: One of My Favorite Things Project Update: Capitol Power Plant Empowered Workforce: Reclaiming an Ordinary Day Feature: Revealing a Tiled Treasure; Cool Cannon Construction Finds Cool Tool: RIGID SEEKTECH SR-60 Locator Download the full Fall 2018 issue, or read the stories from this and previous issues on our blog.

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2018 Capitol Christmas Tree Dates Announced

November 02, 2018

2017 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony
The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) selects the annual U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree in consultation with the United States Forest Service. This year's tree, sponsored by the Oregon Congressional Delegation led by U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, was chosen from the Willamette National Forest. The tree will be harvested on November 2, 2018, and will travel cross-country to Washington, D.C. by truck. The Capitol Christmas Tree will make stops in communities along the route to the nation's capital and arrive at the U.S. Capitol on Monday, November 26, 2018, at 10 a.m. The AOC's Capitol Grounds and...

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Holiday Show Celebrating America's Train Stations

November 01, 2018

Scene from Season's Greenings at the U.S. Botanic Garden.
This year's annual U.S. Botanic Garden (USBG) holiday exhibit, "Season's Greenings: All Aboard!," will open Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 2018, and run through New Year's Day, January 1, 2019. The USBG is vibrant throughout the holidays with the sights, scents and sounds of the season. Take a train ride across America as our annual holiday show showcases train stations! Plant-based recreations of iconic train stations from across the United States will be represented in the train room. Explore classic stations like New York City's Grand Central Terminal, Detroit's Michigan Central Station,...

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2018 U.S. Capitol Labor Day Concert Prohibited Items and Street Closures

August 30, 2018

View of the Labor Day Concert on the U.S. Capitol West Front Lawn during sunset.
The following press release is via the United States Capitol Police. Know Before You Go: Information on the Concert, Rehearsal, Prohibited Items and Street Closures On Sunday, September 2, 2018, the annual Labor Day Capitol Concert featuring the National Symphony Orchestra will be held on the West Front of the United States Capitol beginning at 8 p.m. The gates will open to the public at 3 p.m. There also will be a concert dress rehearsal on Sunday beginning at 3:30 p.m. The event is open and free to the public. For information about the concert program, please visit the Kennedy Center...

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Senator John S. McCain to Lie in State in U.S. Capitol Rotunda

August 28, 2018

The U.S. Capitol Rotunda is used for important ceremonial events, such as the lying in state of eminent citizens and the dedication of works of art.
The following press release is via the United States Capitol Police. Information on Public Viewing Hours, Road Closures and Other Restrictions The late Senator John S. McCain will lie in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on Friday, August 31, 2018. Members of the public and Congressional community are invited to pay their respects at the U.S. Capitol. Following a private arrival ceremony to include Senator McCain's family and Members of Congress, the U.S. Capitol Rotunda will open to the public from 1 p.m. until 8 p.m., on Friday, August 31. All visitors will enter through the U.S. Capitol...

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Harvesting Hope: Continuing Our Tradition of Helping Others

August 21, 2018

Display of items harvested from the 2018 AOC victory gardens at the Library of Congress.
Building on the success of last year's War Garden project, the Architect of the Capitol's (AOC) gardening team who care for the Library of Congress buildings and grounds, identified and, in some cases, created additional beds to grow vegetables on the U.S. Capitol campus. To view the team's handy work, you can visit several gardens that surround the Library buildings. In the raised bed on the west side of the James Madison Memorial Building, the Library's gardening team planted a "three sisters" grouping. Corn, beans and squash were historically planted together by Native Americans because...

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