BUREAU OF ENGRAVING & PRINTING
This is where they will literally show you the money. A staff of 2,600 works around the clock churning United States currency out at the rate of about $700 million a day. Everyone's eyes pop as they walk past rooms overflowing with new greenbacks. The bureau prints many other products as well, including 25 billion postage stamps a year, presidential portraits, and White House invitations. You'll see, through large windows, the processes that go into the making of paper money: the inking, stacking of bills, cutting, and examination for defects. Additional exhibits include bills no longer in use, counterfeit money, and a $100,000 bill designed for official transactions.
Metro: Smithsonian. Hours: Open Mon-Fri, 9am to 10:45am and 12:30am to 2pm; in summer, extended hours from 5pm to 7pm. Admission: Free.

THE CAPITOL
The Capitol is as majestic up close as it is from afar. For 135 years it sheltered not only both houses of Congress, but also the Supreme Court and, for 97 years, the Library of Congress as well. As you tour the Capitol, you'll learn about America's history as you admire the place in which it unfolded. Classical architecture, interior embellishments, and hundreds of paintings, sculptures, and other artworks are integral elements of the Capitol. The 30-minute tour takes you to the Rotunda, the National Statuary Hall, and the Crypt. The Rotunda, a huge 96-foot-wide circular hall capped by a 180-foot-high dome, is the hub of the Capitol. On the walls are eight immense oil paintings commemorating great moments in American history, such as the presentation of the Declaration of Independence and the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown. In the dome is an allegorical fresco masterpiece by Constantino Brumidi, Apotheosis of Washington, a symbolic portrayal of George Washington surrounded by Roman gods and goddesses watching over the progress of the nation. Beneath the dome is a trompe l'oeil frieze depicting major developments in the life of America, from Columbus's landing in 1492 to the birth of the aviation age in 1903. The National Statuary Hall was originally the chamber of the House of Representatives. In 1864, it became Statuary Hall, and the states were invited to send two statues each of native sons and daughters to the hall. Finally, The Crypt of the Capitol lies directly below the Rotunda and is used mainly as an exhibit space.
Metro: Capitol South. Hours: Mon-Sat, 9am to 4:30pm. Admission: Free.

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Headquarters, located in the J. Edgar Hoover Building, is the operations center of the United States's primary law enforcement agency. During the one-hour tour, you'll learn about the history of the FBI and its work against organized crime and terrorism, see scientists at work in forensic labs, view historical exhibits, and watch a live firearms demonstration given by a special agent. Please note that building may be closed to the public during your stay; check the website for current touring information.
Metro: Gallery Place-Chinatown. Hours: Mon-Fri, 8:45am to 4:15pm. Closed during federal holidays. Admission: Free.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
The question most frequently asked by visitors to the Library of Congress is: Where are the books? The answer is: on the 532 miles of shelves located throughout the library's three buildings: the Thomas Jefferson, James Madison Memorial, and John Adams buildings. Established in 1800, "for the purchase of such books as may be necessary for the use of Congress," the library today serves the nation, with holdings for the visually impaired (for whom books are recorded on cassette and/or translated into Braille), research scholars, college students, and tourists. Its first collection of books was destroyed in 1814 when the British burned the Capitol (where the library was then housed) during the War of 1812. Thomas Jefferson then sold the institution his personal library of 6,487 books as a replacement, and this became the foundation of what would grow to become the world's largest library. Today, the collection contains a mind-boggling 128 million items. Its buildings house more than 29 million catalogued books, 57 million manuscripts, 12 million prints and photographs, 2.7 million audio holdings (discs, tapes, talking books, and so on), about a million movies and videotapes, musical instruments from the 1700s, and the letters and papers of everyone from George Washington to Groucho Marx.
Metro: Capitol South. Hours: Madison Bldg. Mon-Fri 8:30am to 9:30pm; Sat 8:30am to 6pm. Jefferson Bldg. Mon-Sat 10am to 5:30pm. Admission: Free.

NATIONAL ARCHIVES
The Rotunda of the National Archives displays our country's most important original documents: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and the Bill of Rights (collectively known as the Charters of Freedom). Until recently, however, it wasn't possible to get a very good look at these documents, and when you did, you had to view the Constitution one page at a time. A superb renovation, known as "The National Archives Experience," has transformed the Rotunda and installed new display cases that allow all visitors, but especially children and those in wheelchairs, much better viewing of the Charters. And, for the first time, you are able to see all four pages of the Constitution in one visit. The renovation adds 14 new document cases that trace the story of the creation of the Charters and the ongoing influence of these fundamental documents on the nation and the world. Further, a restoration of Barry Faulkner's two larger-than-life murals brings the scenes to vivid life. One mural entitled The Declaration of Independence, shows Thomas Jefferson presenting a draft of the Declaration to John Hancock, the presiding officer of the Continental Congress; the other, entitled The Constitution, shows James Madison submitting the Constitution to George Washington and the Constitutional Convention.
Metro: Archives-Navy Memorial. Hours: Open daily, 10am to 5:30pm. Admission: Free.

THE PENTAGON
Located in Arlington, Virginia, the Pentagon is the headquarters of the American military establishment, the Department of Defense. Damaged in the September 11, 2001 attacks, the building has been restored. This immense five-sided structure was built during the early years of World War II. It's one of the world's largest office buildings, housing approximately 23,000 employees and containing a complete indoor shopping mall, including two banks, a post office, an Amtrak ticket office, a beauty salon, a dry cleaner, and more. It's a self-contained world.
Metro: Pentagon. Hours: Call (703) 695-1776 for touring information. Admission: Free.

THE SUPREME COURT
The highest tribunal in the nation, the Supreme Court is charged with the power of "judicial review": deciding whether actions of Congress, the president, the states, and lower courts, in other words, of all branches of government and government officials, are in accordance with the Constitution, and with applying the Constitution's enduring principles to novel situations and a changing country. Interestingly, the Supreme Court, in existence since 1789, did not have its own building until 1935. Architect Cass Gilbert designed the stately Corinthian marble palace that houses the Court today. When the Court is not in session, you can tour the building and attend a free lecture in the courtroom about Court procedure and the building's architecture. After the talk, explore the Great Hall and go down a flight of steps to see the 24-minute film on the workings of the Court. On the same floor is an exhibit highlighting the "History of High Courts Around the World."
Metro: Capitol South. Hours: Open Mon-Fri, 9am to 4:30pm. Admission: Free.

THE WHITE HOUSE
This house has served as a residence, office, reception site, and world embassy for every U.S. president since John Adams. The White House is the only private residence of a head of state that has opened its doors to the public for tours, free of charge. The structure took 8 years to build, starting in 1792, when its cornerstone was laid, and its facade is made of the same stone that was used to construct the Capitol. In 1814, during the War of 1812, the British set fire to the White House, gutting the interior; the exterior managed to endure only because a rainstorm extinguished the fire. Alterations over the years have incorporated the South Portico in 1824, the North Portico in 1829, and electricity in 1891, during Benjamin Harrison's presidency. In 1902, repairs and refurnishings of the White House cost nearly $500,000. No other great change took place until Harry Truman's presidency, when the interior was completely renovated, after the leg of Margaret Truman's piano cut through the dining room ceiling. In 1961, Jacqueline Kennedy formed a Fine Arts Committee to help restore the famous rooms to their original grandeur, ensuring treatment of the White House as a museum of American history and decorative arts, and presidents through the years have put their own stamp on the White House.
Metro: Federal Triangle. Hours: Call (202) 456-7041 for touring information. Admission: Free.