The United States Capitol Guide Service is a

guide A guide is a person who leads travelers, sportspeople, or tourists through unknown or unfamiliar locations. The term can also be applied to a person who leads others to more abstract goals such as knowledge or wisdom. Travel and recreation Exp ...

service charged by the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...

to "provide guided tours of the interior of the United States Capitol Building for the

education Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...

and enlightenment of the

general public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...

, without charge for such tours." It exists under . The Service's operations are part of the

United States Capitol Visitor Center The United States Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) is a large underground addition to the United States Capitol complex which serves as a gathering point for up to 4,000 tourists and an expansion space for the United States Congress, U.S. Congress. ...

operations.

History

Created in 1876 in honor of the United States turning 100 years old, the Capitol Guide Service was subject to the direction, supervision, and control of a Capitol Guide Board consisting of the

Architect of the Capitol The Architect of the Capitol is the Federal government of the United States, federal Government agency, agency responsible for the maintenance, operation, development, and preservation of the United States Capitol Complex. It is an agency of t ...

, the

Sergeant at Arms of the Senate The sergeant at arms and doorkeeper of the United States Senate (originally known as the doorkeeper of the Senate from April 7, 1789 – 1798) is the protocol officer, executive officer, and highest-ranking federal law enforcement officer of th ...

, and the Sergeant at Arms of the House of Representatives. These same three officials also made up the Capitol Police Board. The board was abolished in 2008. Key Guide Service personnel included the Director, four Assistant Directors, as well as many regular guides. Personnel of the Capitol Guide Service could also be transferred to the

United States Capitol Police The United States Capitol Police (USCP) is a federal law enforcement agency in the United States with nationwide jurisdiction charged with protecting the United States Congress within the District of Columbia and throughout the United States an ...

force at the discretion of the Capitol Guide Board to provide ushering and informational services, and other services not directly involving law enforcement. This sometimes happened during major events, such as presidential inaugurations and Lying in State ceremonies. The Capitol Guides operated out of facilities located on the south side of the United States Capitol. Visitors were processed through the South Visitor Facility which included security screening and then directed into the Capitol, itself, via a walk around the west front of the building to enter through a west terrace door. Behind the South Visitor Facility was a trailer, which served as the temporary rest area and locker facility for the guides. Upon the opening of the

Capitol Visitor Center The United States Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) is a large underground addition to the United States Capitol complex which serves as a gathering point for up to 4,000 tourists and an expansion space for the U.S. Congress.polo shirt A polo shirt, tennis shirt, golf shirt, or chukker shirt is a form of shirt with a collar. Polo shirts are usually short sleeved but can be long; they were used by Polo#Players, polo players originally in British Raj, British India in 1859 and ...

with a circular patch on the left breast. It was accompanied by navy blue pants. The summer uniform was generally not worn until temperatures were above .

References

{{USCongress 1876 establishments in Washington, D.C. Guide Service Capitol Guide Service 2008 disestablishments in Washington, D.C.