D.C.'s newest tourist attraction opens

WASHINGTON - Just in time for the holiday tourist season, Congressional leaders finally throw open the doors to the new Capitol Visitors Center Tuesday.

But when those doors open to the public after the formal ceremonies, what will visitors find when they get to the newest tourist attraction in D.C.?

Terry Rouse heads Visitors Services with the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center. She says the new facility, which is largely under the East Front plaza of the U.S. Capitol, will dramatically change things for visitors to the seat of America's national legislature.

"Over the years, as interest in the Capitol has increased, people have been standing in the cold, the rain, extreme heat and humidity waiting to get into this building. Congress recognized the need for the construction of a visitors center to provide greater security for all persons working in, or visiting the United States Capitol. "

Visitors will enter the Capitol Visitor Center on one of two long, sloping ramps from First Street, just across from the Library of Congress and the Supreme Court. The Capitol's acting Architect, Steven Ayers, says once past Capitol Police security, a visitor encounters the cavernous Emancipation Hall, a large, tall-ceilinged space which compares favorably with such landmarks as neighboring Union Station or New York's Grand Central Station.

"It's primarily an organizing space," he told reporters during a recent preview tour.

Emancipation Hall serves as a a staging area for visitors who will watch a 13-minute orientation film in one of two 250-seat movie theaters. The hall also is home to some statues donated to Congress' Statuary Hall collection by the states to honor important residents.

Beyond the theaters is Exhibition Hall, a brand new museum about Congress and the Capitol. It was designed by Ralph Applebaum, best known in this area as the designer for both the original, and the new Newseum, just up the street from the Capitol on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Ayers says one interactive feature with a big "please touch" sign is for kids of ages.

"The centerpiece of Exhibition Hall is this new, touchable model of the Capitol dome. You can see it go through a day-night cycle. It's designed to be touched and felt," he says.

Ayers adds that the touchable dome has already passed, with flying colors, the test of climbing toddlers.

Exhibition Hall includes a series of historical displays providing a timeline of sorts, pairing the history of Congress with that of the nation it helped shape and represent:

"On the left hand side of each of these alcoves is what's going on in the Senate at the time, on the right what's going on in the House at that time and the back panel is what's going on in the country at the time, that was influencing what was going in in the Congress. In each of these alcoves, there's also a model of the Capitol campus, and how it has developed over time," Ayers says.

There are other portions of the Capitol Visitor Center complex that are not on the tour:

• A new secure tractor trailer tunnel and loading dock on the north end of the Capitol building provides for the first time a modern cargo handling facility.
• When completed, a new broadcast studio for the Congressional press galleries will allow large groups of lawmakers to comfortably hold news briefings.
• Finally, with a nod to what didn't happen on Sept. 11, 2001, there are two large auditorium-style theaters for public programs designed to serve as emergency House and Senate chambers should something happen to the Capitol itself.

And, though it isn't discussed publicly, Congress could decide in the future to use the spacious Emancipation Hall as an indoor venue in case of bad weather for an Inauguration, as happened at the start of President Reagan's second term. (Reagan's second inaugural ceremony was crammed into the Capitol's Rotunda because of dangerously cold temperatures.)

The space could also be used to more comfortably accommodate Joint Sessions of Congress for the President's delivery of the State of the Union address. Ayers says such one time uses would require joint resolutions of both the House and the Senate.

Tours start on Wednesday. For tour tickets, click here.

Federal News Radio's Max Cacas takes a sneak peek at everything from what the center will offer to the center's delays and costs. Listen to his four-part series.

Part I

Just in time for the holiday tourist season, the U.S. Capitol is finally throwing open the doors to the new U.S. Capitol Visitor Center on Tuesday.
(To listen to Part I, click the play button in the left-hand column.)

Part II

The new facility opens after delays and comes with a high cost.
(To listen to Part II, click the play button in the left-hand column.)

Part III

What will you find inside the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center?
(To listen to Part III, click the play button in the left-hand column.)

Part IV

The District's newest tourist attraction also will feature the city's newest museum.
(To listen to Part IV, click the play button in the left-hand column.)

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