SUNDAY, JUNE 13, 2010
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from The Mini Page © 2010 Universal Uclick Welcoming the People
A meeting place for Congress The U.S. Congress is made up of
two groups, or bodies: the House of Representatives and the Senate. Each of these bodies meets in a separate wing in the Capitol.
More comfort for visitors Before the Visitor Center was
built, there was only one line to get tickets. Because everybody had to be screened by metal detectors, the line moved very slowly. Now there are eight lines. People
The Capitol has gone through
many changes since it was begun in 1793. Congress began meeting in the Capitol in 1800, when the government moved from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. In 1814, British troops burned the Capitol. Much of it had to be rebuilt. Each time more states joined
the country, there were more representatives and senators needing space. The Capitol kept growing. The Visitor Center is the latest addition to this building.
from The Mini Page © 2010 Universal Uclick
Ready Resources The Mini Page provides ideas for websites,
On the Web: •
www.visitthecapitol.gov •
www.aoc.gov •
http://kids.clerk.house.gov •
www.senate.gov •
http://congressforkids.net/index.htm
At the library: • “How a Bill Becomes Law” by John Hamilton
TM
can also reserve a tour time online. The average time spent in line is now about six minutes. About 100 people are screened every few minutes. People can wait for their tour time
in the Visitor Center. There are 26 big restrooms and a cafeteria.
People in the Visitor Center can view the dome of the Capitol through the center’s skylights.
Changing times
Before 9/11, visitors could walk through the Capitol on their own. After 9/11, this changed. Now the public can see the Capitol only on guided tours.
Films in the Visitor Center show how Congress works.
from The Mini Page © 2010 Universal Uclick U.S. Capitol TRY ’N FIND
books or other resources that will help you learn more about this week’s topics.
Words that remind us of the U.S. Capitol are hidden in the block below. Some words are hidden backward or diagonally. See if you can find: ACT, ASPIRATIONS, CAPITOL, CONGRESS, DOCUMENTS, DOME, EAT, EMANCIPATION, GOVERNMENT, HALL, HOUSE, LAW, LEARN, LINE, PUBLIC, SENATE, STATUES, TOUR, VIEW, WAIT, WASHINGTON.
UP TO SEE THE CAPITOL!
STEP RIGHT
SD H E S U O H L O T I P A C EW O A E N I L S E U T A T S NV A M L V T A E C I L B U P AI K I E
L S T N E M U C O D
TE C L T W K S S E R G N O C EW W A S H I N G T O N W A L SN O I T A R I P S A R UO T NR A E L T N E M N R E V O G TC A N O I T A P I C N A M E
The Statue of Freedom stands on top of the Capitol dome. The original 19 1/2-foot plaster model used to make this statue now stands in Emancipation Hall in the Visitor Center.
© 2010 Universal Uclick Visitor Center Inspires Public Have you ever visited the U.S. Capitol
in Washington, D.C.? If you haven’t seen it in person, you have probably seen it in newspapers or on TV. The U.S. Capitol
is where the two legislative
(LEH-jus-LAY-tiv), or law-making, bodies of the U.S. government meet.
Now, the millions of people who
come to Washington, D.C., to see the Capitol have a new visitor center to make their tour more pleasant. The Visitor Center, which opened in 2008, is the latest addition to the U.S. Capitol.
The need In the last 30 years, there has
been a big increase in the number of visitors wanting to tour the Capitol. The first jump was in 1976, during the country’s bicentennial, or 200th birthday celebration. In 1976, there were about 1 million visitors to the Capitol each year. By 2000, that number had jumped to 3 million a year. But the Capitol wasn’t meant to
handle that number of visitors. It was built to house congressional business. There were only five public restrooms in the whole Capitol. There was no place for the public to get something to eat or drink. During the top tourist season, in
photo courtesy Architect of the Capitol
the spring and summer, people might have waited up to four hours outside in the heat. People often fainted.
photo courtesy Architect of the Capitol
The “capitol” is the building. The “capital” is the city.
June 13, 2010 from The Mini Page © 2010 Universal Uclick U.S. Capitol Welcomes Us
Visitors flow into Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center. The center can hold 5,000 people at a time. Because only 1,500 people an hour can tour the Capitol and still meet fire codes, people wait their turn in the Visitor Center. They no longer have to stand in line for hours.
There were no restrooms or drinking fountains for people standing and waiting outside. Each person could get only one
ticket apiece. A whole family had to get to the Capitol early in the morning so they could each get their ticket. They might spend several hours in
line and then get tickets for 2:30 p.m. So they’d have to wait a few more hours before they could finally get into the Capitol.
Visitors line up on one of the walkways to enter the Capitol Visitor Center.
photo courtesy Architect of the Capitol
photo courtesy Architect of the Capitol
photo courtesy Architect of the Capitol
Basset Brown The News Hound’s
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