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From Primedia Publications
Checks and Balances: Washington, DC
Visit the three branches of government in the nation's capital.


The White House has been home to every president except Washington.
More than any other place in the United States, Washington, D.C., is a city where today's events will be in tomorrow's history books. While the nation's capital has a wealth of historic and cultural attractions, how better to appreciate the seat of government than by visiting its three branches?

You'll find the legislative branch at the Capitol Building, which looks out regally over the National Mall from its perch on Capitol Hill. George Washington laid the cornerstone in 1793, and Thomas Walter modeled the huge dome after St. Peter's in Rome. To watch the legislative process at work, get House and Senate passes from your representative and senators—though it may be wise to recall the old maxim: "People who love laws or sausages should not watch either being made." Tours start frequently in the Rotunda from 9:00 to 4:30 daily (except holidays). For more information, call (202) 224-3121, or find the Senate's virtual tour of the Capitol on the Internet at www.senate.gov/vtour/index.html.

Designed by Irishman James Hoban, the White House was burned by the British in 1814.
Until 1935 the highest court of the government's judicial branch, the Supreme Court, met in the Capitol. It now resides just across First Street, NE, in a building designed by Cass Gilbert that provides an appropriately impressive home. The building is open weekdays (closed on federal holidays). Court sessions start on the first Monday in October and continue through April, and visitors can attend oral arguments. No passes are necessary, but seating is limited. Courtroom lectures are offered on the half-hour between 9:00 and 4:25 when the court is not in session. For more information, call (202) 479-3395.

The White House represents the executive branch. Every president except George Washington lived here (but Washington chose the site). Designed by Irishman James Hoban, the building was burned by the British in 1814. Rebuilt and painted white to cover the burn marks, it gained the name of the White House. Free tours are given Tuesday-Saturday, but you need a ticket, handed out in the mornings at the White House Visitor Center at 15th and E Streets, NW. Tickets are limited, and people begin lining up as early as 5:00 a.m. For more information, call (202) 456-7041, or check out the official White House website at www.whitehouse.gov, or the National Park Service site at www.nps.gov/whho. For information on visiting D.C., call (202) 789-7000.