Click on the words to learn about the United States Capitol.

The United States Capitol building is a federal government office building where Congress meets to make the nation's laws.  It is also a familiar symbol of our nation. The Congress is made up of the Senate and House of Representatives which is the legislative branch of the government. The building was constructed in marble except for the dome.  The dome is made of iron and painted white to look like the rest of the building.  The Capitol was built in 1800. It was burned in 1814 during a war and later rebuilt.  In 1863 a new dome was put in place. Top The Capitol building is located in Washington, DC. and over three to five million tourists visit the building each year. Guided tours are offered daily except on New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. If you would like additional information, please click here. Use the back button in the browser to get back to this page. Top The North Wing is where the Senate meets and works.  The Senate is a group of 100 people who represent each state. They are called Senators. There are two Senators from each state.   The Senate and the House of Representatives make up the United States Congress.  They are also called the two chambers or houses. Do you know the Senators from your state?  please click here to find out. Use the back button in the browser to get back to this page. Top The South Wing is where the House of Representatives meet and work.  Representation from each state is based on its population but each state must have at least one representative. There are a total of 435 representatives. Click here to find out the number of representatives your state. Use the back button in the browser to get back to this page. Top Great Rotunda is located in the center of the Capitol building.  Its shape is a circular room 96 feet in diameter and 180 feet in height.  The rotunda connects the House (south wing) and Senate (north wing) sides.  The room is used primarily for ceremonial events and houses many works of art. There are statues and busts of the Presidents including George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Thomas Jefferson.  Other historic figures are Alexander Hamilton and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  It looks like a museum inside. The construction of the rotunda began in 1818 and was completed in 1824.  Top Statue of Freedom was put in place on top of the dome in 1863.  The statue was made of bronze and designed by Thomas Crawford. She represents freedom for all.  The statue stands 19 feet 6 inches tall and weighs approximately 15,000 pounds. Click here to see the Statue of Freedom.  Top