United States Capitol Visitor Center facts for kids
Quick facts for kids United States Capitol Visitor Center |
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Aerial view (2007)
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| General information | |
| Type | Underground visitor's center |
| Location | United States Capitol Complex |
| Town or city | Washington, D.C. |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 38°53′23″N 77°00′27″W / 38.8896°N 77.0075°W |
| Construction started | June 20, 2000 |
| Opened | December 2, 2008 |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Type I – Fire Resistive (steel and concrete) |
| Floor count | Three floors |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | RTKL Associates Inc. |
| Structural engineer | Balfour Beatty (formerly Centex Construction) |
| Main contractor | Manhattan Construction Company |
| Top - 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
The United States Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) is a huge underground building. It is an addition to the famous United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. The CVC helps welcome up to 4,000 tourists every day. It also provides more space for the U.S. Congress to work.
This large center is located beneath the East Front of the Capitol building. It has three underground floors. The entire project cost about $621 million to build.
The CVC offers new meeting rooms for Congress members. There is a big room for a committee on the House side. A 450-seat theater, called the Congressional Auditorium, is also available. Congress members can use it if their main meeting rooms are busy.
The CVC officially opened its doors on December 2, 2008. This date was chosen for a special reason. It marked 145 years since the Statue of Freedom was placed on top of the Capitol dome. That happened in 1863, showing the dome's construction was finished.
Designing the Visitor Center
The CVC has three underground levels for visitors and staff. These include an entrance balcony, the main Emancipation Hall, and a restricted level. The restricted level has new offices and meeting rooms for Congress. Building the CVC was the biggest expansion ever for the United States Capitol. It more than doubled the size of the Capitol complex.
The American Institute of Architects gave an award to RTKL Associates Inc. for their work. They won the Award of Excellence in Historic Resources. This award recognized their great design for the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center.
Building the CVC: A Look Back
The Architect of the Capitol oversaw the building of the CVC. This person is in charge of the Capitol building and grounds. Alan Hantman was the Architect when construction started. Later, Stephen T. Ayers took over as Acting Architect.
The first ceremony to start construction happened on June 20, 2000. The CVC was supposed to be ready by January 2004. However, it finally opened on December 2, 2008. The cost also went up a lot. It was first planned to be $71 million, but it ended up costing $621 million.
The project faced challenges like rising fuel costs. New security rules after the 9/11 attacks also added to the cost. Bad weather also caused delays.
Balfour Beatty won the first big construction contract in 2002. This company did the digging and built the main structure. By July 2005, they had finished all the digging and built the roof.
Manhattan Construction Company then took over. They installed the electrical, plumbing, and heating systems. They also finished the plaza outside and added security features.
What You'll Find Inside
The CVC is mainly a waiting area for people touring the Capitol. The number of visitors to the Capitol has grown a lot. It went from 1 million in 1970 to almost 3 million recently. This caused big crowds and long lines. Before the CVC, visitors had to wait outside on the Capitol steps. They could wait for hours in any kind of weather.
Now, the CVC gives visitors a safe and comfortable place to wait. It is also easy for people with disabilities to use. Visitors can explore the CVC while they wait for their tours. It has an exhibition hall, two gift shops, and a large food court.
Visiting the CVC and the Capitol is free. Tickets for Capitol tours are also free. You can even order them online ahead of time.
Emancipation Hall: The Main Area
Emancipation Hall is the main area of the CVC. It is a huge space, about 20,000 square feet. It was first called the Great Hall. But in 2008, Congress changed its name to Emancipation Hall.
This hall has two large skylights. Each skylight is about 30 feet by 70 feet. They offer a view of the Capitol dome that was never seen before. The skylights let in a lot of natural light. They are surrounded by pools of water and seating areas on the roof.
In the center of Emancipation Hall, you'll see the original 1857 plaster cast of the Statue of Freedom. This is the same statue that sits on top of the Capitol dome. It was moved here from another building in 1993.
The Hall also displays 24 statues from the National Statuary Hall Collection. This collection has two statues from each state. Each state donates statues to honor important people from their history. Many statues used to be crowded in the Capitol. Moving some to Emancipation Hall helped make more space.
In 2009, a bust (a sculpture of a head and shoulders) of Sojourner Truth was placed in Emancipation Hall.
Exhibition Hall: Learning About History
The Exhibition Hall has an 11-foot-high model of the Capitol dome. You can touch this model to feel its shape. The hall features two curving marble walls. These walls are 93 feet long and display artifacts. They also have interactive touch-screen displays.
You can see important documents signed by George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Six smaller models show how the Capitol building grew over time. Two special areas have large screens. Here, you can watch live broadcasts of the House and Senate meetings. Another area holds the Lincoln catafalque. This is a special stand used to hold Abraham Lincoln's coffin. It was moved here from another part of the Capitol.
Other Cool Features
Two theaters are located above the Exhibition Hall. They continuously show a 13-minute video. This video teaches you about the history of Congress and the Capitol Complex. Visitors enter the theaters from Emancipation Hall.
You'll also find two gift shops off Emancipation Hall. One is at the north end, and the other is at the south end. These shops replaced the single gift shop that used to be in the Capitol Crypt.
The CVC also has a large food court with 530 seats. This helps reduce crowding in other cafeterias nearby.
Space for Congress
About 170,000 square feet of space in the CVC is for Congress. Much of this is for the new Congressional Auditorium. The rest of the space is used for committee meeting rooms.
Service Tunnels
Several tunnels were built as part of the CVC project. One is a 1,000-foot-long truck service tunnel. Its entrance is north of Constitution Avenue. This tunnel helps reduce traffic on the plaza. It also makes security better by checking delivery trucks far from the Capitol.
Another tunnel connects the CVC to the Library of Congress. This tunnel was finished in 2005.
See also
