My experience
The Capitol is my favorite place in Washington, DC.
When I was in college I would go at night and sit on the Capitol steps, when the rest of the Mall was basically empty. Usually after I had been studying, or when I needed a break. This was before they had the barricades.
Sitting there and looking out over Washington was one of the most moving things I have done. You see the glow of the White House, and the glow of the museums and the monuments. It is humbling to be in that city, with everything that takes place there, and to respect it and love it.
The Capitol sits at the opposite end of the Mall from the Lincoln Memorial. It is something you see the whole time you are out there, and it is the backdrop to so much of what happens.
Walking around it and sitting on the lawn and soaking it up is enough. You can also look at doing a tour of the building.
Who laid out the lawn you are sitting on
The grounds were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted — the same man who designed Central Park. He was brought in in 1874 and the work ran until 1892.
Inside the stone wall it is just under 59 acres; the wider Capitol grounds run to about 286. The marble terraces on the north, west and south sides are his too. He added them so the building would sit into the hill rather than perch on it.
Two things reward the walk around. There are more than a hundred varieties of tree on the grounds, and many of them are memorial trees — planted for members of Congress, for notable citizens, for the states. The eastern side has the most of them.
And tucked into the northwest corner there is a summerhouse: a small hexagonal brick room Olmsted built between 1879 and 1881, with benches in the shade, a fountain in the middle and three drinking fountains. Most people walk straight past it. It was put there for exactly what you would want it for — sitting down in the shade with a drink of water.
What I’d tell a friend
The grounds are the visit. The tour is worth doing if you want it, but you do not need to go inside for this to be worth your time.
Go at night. The building is lit, the crowds are gone, and the view back down the Mall is the whole city at once.
Find the summerhouse. Northwest corner, down a slope, easy to miss. It is the one place on the grounds built for sitting rather than looking.
Read the tree labels. Once you know they are memorials you cannot stop reading them.
Elsewhere on the site
At the other end of the Mall, and facing back this way, is the Lincoln Memorial.
Plan your visit
Entry: Free. The grounds are public and there is no ticket for walking them.
Tours: Tours of the building itself are free but go through the Capitol Visitor Center and are usually booked in advance, either online or through your representative’s office.
Access: Security around the building has tightened a great deal over the years, and what you can walk up to changes. Check the current rules before you go rather than assuming the steps are open.
Where: The east end of the National Mall. The Lincoln Memorial is at the far other end, a little over two miles away.
Getting there: Metro is easier than parking — Capitol South and Union Station are both close.
Worth knowing: This is not a National Park Service site. The Capitol and its grounds are looked after by the Architect of the Capitol, and the rules are set by the Capitol Police rather than the NPS.
What to pack & wear
Pay attention to the weather. Washington, DC is hot and humid in the summer, crisp in the fall and cool in the winter, and you are outside the whole time.
Comfortable shoes, and water. Olmsted put three drinking fountains in the summerhouse if you need to refill.
Pets
Leashed dogs are generally welcome on the grounds, but this is Capitol Police territory rather than National Park Service, so the rules are their own and they change. Worth checking before you make the trip with a dog, which is not something I have to say about the memorials down the Mall.
Access, tours and pet rules at the Capitol change more often than at the parks. Check before you go — details here were verified in September 2026.