Washington, D.C - Capitol Hill

Capitol Hill is a district of Washington, D.C. to the east of the National Mall and to the south of the Near Northeast.

Culture and History

Capitol Hill plays a central role in the country's political life, as two of the three branches of the federal government—the legislative and the judicial—are located here. Washington D.C.'s layout centers on Capitol Hill, with the city's four quadrants starting at the Capitol Building.

Travel to Washington, D.C - Capitol Hill - Visa Requirements

Blue and Orange Metro lines have stations just south of the hill at Federal Center and Capitol South. Eastern Market can be reached on the same line. The Red line has a station just to the north at Union Station.

Note that driving is restricted around the center of the hill to only government officials.

Washington, D.C - Capitol Hill tourist attractions and sightseeing

• Capitol Building, (Metro: Union Station on the Red Line; Capitol South on the Blue or Orange Lines.), ☎ +1-(202)-226-8000, [1]. M-Sa 8:30AM-4:30PM. The center of the legislative branch of America is home to the House of Representatives and the Senate, as well as numerous impressive paintings, statues, historical exhibits, and one magnificent dome. A new Visitor Center recently opened, which features a exhibition of the history of the Capitol and of Congress. Tours of the Capitol building can be arranged through the Visitor Center website (or by calling or emailing your Representative's or Senator's office a few weeks in advance). Tours start from within the Visitor Center. You may not bring food/drinks inside—if that's a problem, nip over to a place such as the Library of Congress where you can deposit your bag and come back. If lines for security are long, an alternative is to use the tunnel from the Library of Congress.Free.  

• Congressional Cemetery, 1801 E Street, SE. All sorts of notables from American history found their final resting place here, from composer John Sousa to FBI founder J. Edgar Hoover. 

• Eastern Market A public market housed in a 19th century brick building is located on 7th Street SE, a few blocks east of the U.S. Capitol. The market itself is open every day, weekends bring an additional influx of vendors ranging from local farmers to antique furniture. (The market still runs, but is housed in a temporary structure across the street from the original site, which is being rebuilt in the wake of a destructive fire.)

• Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol Street, SE, ☎ +1-(202)-544–7077(fax: +1-(202)-544–7420), [2]. M-Sa 10AM-4PM. Houses the world's largest Shakespeare collection and has a replica of Shakespeare's Globe theatre. 

• Supreme Court, First St & Maryland Ave NE, ☎ +1 202 479-3211, [3]. M-F 9AM-4:30PM. This is the center of the US Judicial Branch and, of the three branches, is the one that commands the greatest respect in American political life. Visitors can watch the court in session M-W, from October-April, with admission on a first-come, first-served basis. The rest of the year, public lectures are held every hour in the courtroom. Here's a bit of trivia: the court didn't even have its own building until 1935, until then it was held in the Capitol building.  

• Library of Congress, 10 1st St SE, ☎ +1 202 707-8000, [4]. M-Sa 10:30AM-5:30PM. Originally founded by the third U.S. president, Thomas Jefferson, this grand building, also called the Jefferson Library, has a massive main reading room and great hall. You must be 18 or older to use the reading rooms and have a user card, which can be obtained by presenting a driver's license or completing a self registration form. Guided tours will not bring you into the reading room, but will take you up in the dome, where you can see the room in its full glory. There are also a number of rotating exhibitions from the Library's vast collection on display at any one time, as is a Gutenberg Bible.Free.  

• US Botanic Garden, [5]. 10AM-5PM. Bartholdi Park, south of the conservatory, is open dawn to dusk. 

Washington, D.C - Capitol Hill city tours

• Walk around The hill has many fine monuments, like the capitol reflecting pool, and memorials to Robert & Ulysses Grant

Washington, D.C - Capitol Hill souvenirs and shopping

Washington, D.C - Capitol Hill Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

Dining options on the Hill have expanded greatly recently:

• America In Union Station, it offers a lengthy 'diner-plus' menu with many classic American dishes, at 50 Massachusetts Avenue, Telephone: 682-9555

• Belga Cafe[[6]] On Barracks Row (8th Street south of Pennsylvania Ave.), the name explains it: authentic Belgian food and Belgian beers. 514 8th St SE, Telephone: 544-0100

• B. Smith's Great Southern Creole food in an ornate setting, also at Union Station on 50 Massachusetts Avenue, Telephone: 289-6188

• Capitol Hill Brewing Company Above the National Postal Museum, is a restaurant/bar at 2 Massachusetts Avenue, Telephone: 842-2337

• Capitol Visitor Center Inside the Visitor Center, OK standard tourist fare.

• Hawk and Dove A British style pub but with American food, at 329 Pennsylvania Avenue, Telephone: 543-3300

• Market Lunch Regional food like crab cakes with cafeteria style breakfast, but crowded Saturday mornings, at 225 7th Street inside Eastern Market, Telephone: 547-8444

• Montmartre One of DC's better French restaurants, with traditional bistro fare, just steps from Eastern Market at 327 7th St SE, Telephone: 544-1244

• Tunnicliff's New Orleans style cuisine with a wooden interior, at 222 7th street, Telephone: 546-3663

• Two Quail Cozy American bistro at 320 Massachusetts Avenue, Telephone: 543-8030

Washington, D.C - Capitol Hill nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs

Washington, D.C - Capitol Hill cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels and lodging

• Capitol Hill Suites All suite, with a cozy lobby, 200 C Street, Telephone: 543-6000 Fax:547-2608

• Holiday Inn on the Hill Is great for families, with a big play area, under 18 stay free, 415 New Jersey Avenue, Telephone: 638-1616 Fax: 638-0707

• Hotel George A trendy boutique with airy rooms and a French restaurant, 15 E Street, Telephone: 347-4200 Fax: 347-4213

• Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill, 400 New Jersey Avenue, [7]. Large, plant filled atrium. Occupying a full city block in the heart of Capitol Hill, 2 blocks from the U.S. Capitol and Union Station.  

• Phoenix Park Hotel Rooms furnished in 18th century Irish Manor style, with Irish entertainers at the bar, 520 North Capitol Street, Telephone: 638-6900 Fax: 393-3236 [8]

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This page was last edited by Wikitravel user Barrytho. Based on work by Peter Fitzgerald and Oliver Buchino, Wikitravel user(s) PerryPlanet and Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. - Content on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0 license