United States Capitol

Seat of the US Congress and the building around which the planned capital was laid out. The rotunda with its dome is flanked by the Senate and House wings; together they hold 540 rooms and 850 corridors. The 6 m Statue of Freedom on top brings the height to 88 m, making it the fifth tallest building in the city. George Washington laid the cornerstone in 1793, enslaved workers did most of the construction, British troops gutted the unfinished interior in 1814, and the building was substantially enlarged between 1851 and 1863 as new states joined the Union.

The rotunda has hosted the lying in state of presidents from Lincoln to George H. W. Bush, as well as Rosa Parks and John McCain. A stone in the rotunda floor marks the point where the four quadrants of the city meet. The Capitol appears on the back of the 50 dollar bill and draws up to five million visitors a year.

Practical: Interior visits are by guided tour only, booked in advance through the Capitol Visitor Center (entrance on the east side, free). The classic view is from the west: from Union Square, across the Capitol Reflecting Pool with the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial in the foreground, a bronze equestrian group that was the largest bronze statue in the country when completed in 1924. Streets immediately around the building are closed to private cars.