Sally’s Adventures: Touring the US Capitol

WASHINGTON (WSFA) - The U.S. Capitol is a symbol of the American people and our government, and it’s open for anyone to tour.

The Capitol grounds include buildings for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. You can visit your senator or representative’s office.

“I often say when people stop by and they say, ‘I don’t know if I should have stopped by,’ absolutely. My name may be on the door, but it is the people of Alabama’s office,” said U.S. Sen. Katie Britt.

Both Britt and U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville pay tribute to the state’s football teams. Britt proudly displays her husband’s Alabama jersey, while Tuberville has a space dedicated to his time as Auburn’s coach. Both hand out Alabama peanuts to visitors.

“We make sure that everyone who comes in knows how proud we are of our farmers, knows how proud we are of our agriculture community and in particular our peanuts,” Britt said.

Their offices will also schedule a tour of the Capitol for you. And to get from Tuberville’s office to his office to the Capitol, you never have to step outside. A tunnel connects the buildings, and there’s actually a subway between the Capitol and the Senate.

Once in the Capitol, you can see the rotunda and the crypt. That’s the vaulted space beneath the rotunda. Directly beneath the crypt is a space where Congress had hoped to place the remains of George Washington.

If you know where to look, there’s also a spot where you’ll see a cat’s paw prints. It’s said to be from the ‘demon cat,’ a cat that people have claimed to see in the Capitol for more than 100 years.

There are more than 100 statues throughout the Capitol, with two from each state. Alabama’s Helen Keller statue is the only one of a child and the only one you can touch because it includes Braille.

Whether it’s the Capitol or any of the other must-see spots in Washington, be sure to wear comfortable shoes because you will do a lot of walking.

If you need to give our feet a rest, you can take a water taxi to go by some of D.C.’s most iconic sites.

Either by water or by land, Washington, D.C. has a lot to see and do. And you can get there in just two hours via Montgomery Regional Airport’s direct flight.

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