United States Capitol
Every street address in Washington DC radiates outward from this building — it is literally the zero point of the city.
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Congress has met here since November 17, 1800, when the capital shifted from Philadelphia. British forces burned it in 1814; it was fully rebuilt within five years. The massive dome was finished around 1866, just after the Civil War ended.
What to look for
- The dome, completed around 1866 — look at how it dwarfs the original 1800 structure below it
- The east front, the formal face built to receive dignitaries, versus the west front where every presidential inauguration now takes place
- The division between the two wings: House of Representatives in the south, Senate in the north — a physical map of the bicameral legislature
The Visitors Center, opened in the early 21st century, is the main public entry point; the building sits at the eastern end of the National Mall.
United States Capitol is one of 37 sights worth the detour in Washington, all bundled offline in Voyage GO — download the Washington pack and it sits on your map with no signal, filling your travel passport the moment you walk past.
More to see in Washington
- White HouseBritish forces torched it in 1814. It has been the U.S. president's home and office ever since.
- The PentagonDesigned and built in 16 months during World War II — 17.5 miles of corridors, a five-acre central courtyard, and a 9/11 memorial at the exact point of impact.
- Washington MonumentThe faint color seam partway up the shaft marks where construction stopped for 23 years.
- Smithsonian InstitutionBritish scientist James Smithson left a bequest that became 157 million objects, 21 museums, and a zoo — almost all free to walk into.
- Arlington National CemeteryThe ground holding 400,000 graves was seized from Robert E. Lee's own family over an unpaid tax bill in 1864.
- Lincoln MemorialThe exact steps where King delivered "I Have a Dream" on August 28, 1963 — stand there and the date stops being abstract.