Embassy of Australia

United States of America

Embassy address: 1601 Massachusetts Ave, NW Washington DC 20036 - Telephone: (202) 797 3000 - Fax: (202) 797 3168

Visiting Washington DC, the White House and Pentagon

Are you planning to visit Washington DC?

The Embassy has been advised by the U.S. Department of State that, at present, access for foreign nationals to White House tours as part of an Embassy-sponsored public tour group is on hold. The Department of State will advise when a decision has been taken about when the tours will resume.

You might wish to explore alternative experiences related to the White House, starting with a visit to the White House Visitor Center.

For the Pentagon, you can find detailed history, facts, figures and information at http://pentagontours.osd.mil. Although the Pentagon website suggests that non-United States citizens can request a tour through their embassy, the Embassy is unable to facilitate Pentagon tours.

Visiting the Capitol and United States Capitol Visitor Center is another experience open to all visitors. Details are at http://www.aoc.gov and at http://www.house.gov/house/tour_services.shtml .

The National Park Service arranges tours of a large number of sites in and around Washington DC, not just park lands. You can see the whole range at http://www.nps.gov/state/dc .

Admission is free for all thirteen Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo in Washington DC. The Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest museum complex and research organization. See http://www.si.edu/visit for details.

The Government of the District of Columbia also has a website for visitors at http://www.vrc.dc.gov .

Please carry your passport with you, as public buildings in the USA require government-issued photo identification at security checkpoints. Many buildings have prohibited items. If you plan on carrying anything more than an umbrella, a wallet, a cell phone and car keys, you need to check the websites above.