From the Capitol Visitors Center to the Capitol Rotunda, the United States Capitol Building is a living piece of our nation’s history. A tour of the Capitol includes not only the CVC and Rotunda but also the Crypt and the Old Hall of the House. In “A Capitol Dream,” Emilie also takes her tour group through the Hall of Columns and the Capitol’s underground tunnels.

Read Along With Tour Guide Emilie!

Emilie gets ready for her first day as a tour guide at the United States Capitol Building.

She memorizes the architects, the rooms, and every detail so she knows exactly what to say.

Soon, she falls asleep.

When Emilie opens her eyes, she discovers she’s at work and her first tour is about to start!

She scans the room to find none other than George Washington waiting patiently for a tour guide.

“Good morning, sir! My name is Emilie and I’ll be your Capitol tour guide today.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Emilie. I’m George Washington, but please, call me General.”

Emilie and Mr. Washington take the elevator to the tunnel floor.

“We are now in the tunnels, a series of underground hallways connecting the Capitol, the Library of Congress, and the Senate and House office buildings,” Emilie explained.

Emilie and Mr. Washington enter the Capitol Visitors Center, a giant underground room where visitors access the Capitol Building. There are many large statues in the room.

"I've noticed that on these statues are the names of different territories. Why is that?" Mr. Washington asks.

​"Each state donates two statues of people who are very important to the history of that state," she says.

​"How many statues are there?" Mr. Washington asks.

​"One-hundred. Two from every state."

They come across a statue of a man with a parchment in his fist. It belongs to the District of Columbia, as in Washington, D.C.

The statue is of Frederick Douglass.

As Emilie and Mr. Washington look at the plate on which his name is listed, Mr. Douglass suddenly steps down from his podium.

“Excuse me," he begins, "is this where I join the tour of the Capitol?"

"Yes sir! My name's Emilie and this is - "

​"Mr. President it's an honor," Mr. Douglass says extending his hand to Mr. Washington.

​"Mr. Douglass, the honor is all mine. Please join us."

They approach a large marble statue.

“Notice this one does not belong to a state,” Emilie says.

Mr. Washington and Mr. Douglass observe the statue, a woman wearing a helmet and holding a shield and sword.

The General asks, “Is she Liberty?'“

“She is the symbol of Liberty. Her official name is Freedom. This is a plaster model of the bronze version atop the Capitol dome.”

“If I recall correctly,” Mr. Douglass begins, “she was assembled with the help of a slave during the Civil War.”

“You’re absolutely right, Mr. Douglass,” Emilie says. “His name was Philip Reid. He was freed in April of 1862 when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Compensated Emancipation Act. How fitting this plaster model of the statue he helped create resides here in Emancipation Hall.”

Mr. Douglass nods.

“I’m proud to occupy the same space as her.”

They continue to a round-shaped room with many columns.

“This room is called the Crypt. Built in 1793, it is the oldest room in the Capitol,” Emilie explains.

“Ah yes, I remember as if it were yesterday I was asked to lay the cornerstone of the Capitol here,” Mr. Washington exclaims. “It was rather heavy since it was made of sandstone.”

Rounding the corner at the top of a wide staircase, the group arrives at what is now known as the Old Hall of the House or National Statuary Hall.

“This room is also known as the Whispering Gallery,” Emilie says. “Notice how the ceiling is shaped like half a dome? That shape makes the sounds in some areas of the room echo in an odd way.”

Emilie then leads Mr. Washington and Mr. Douglass through the Capitol Rotunda.

“This is remarkable,” Mr. Douglass says.

They stand in the center of the Rotunda near a small bronze circle on the floor.

“All around us are scenes from our country’s history,” Emilie says as she points to a series of paintings encircling the Rotunda’s lower walls.

“They show different events during the United States’ growth from an unexplored land to a democracy.”

Suddenly, Emilie feels a tap on her shoulder. She turns around to see . . Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

“Pardon me, ma’am,” Miss Stanton begins. “I overheard you describing the details of this room, and I thought I’d introduce myself. I’m Elizabeth Cady Stanton. My sculpture is over there.” She points to a marble sculpture with three busts, including hers, carved in it.

“This is the Portrait Monument,” Emilie explains. “From right to left, we have Lucretia Mott, Susan B. Anthony, and you, Miss Stanton. This sculpture is dedicated to the pioneers of the Woman Suffrage Movement, which won women the right to vote in 1920.”

“You know what I love about this room,” Emilie asks. “It represents America’s diverse origins.”

“It makes me very happy,” Mr. Washington remarks, “to see young people like you, Miss Emilie, keeping these stories alive.”