Capitol Grounds Overview

The United States Capitol is located in a 58 acre park that was landscaped by Frederick Law Olmsted during the period 1874-1892. Broad open lawns provide unobstructed views to the building, while shaded walks furnish pleasant approaches. Low granite walls give definition to the perimeter which, unlike a fence, do not impose a physical or psychological separation of the grounds from the surrounding neighborhood. Visitors are also welcomed to the grounds by various and convenient places to sit and admire views to the building. A Summerhouse was built to offer shade, rest, and refreshment to visitors who come during Washington's hot summer months. As additional buildings were added in support of the Capitol, facilities such as the Library of Congress or the congressional office buildings, the grounds were enlarged as well. By the twenty-first century the size of the Capitol grounds had grown to approximately 274 acres. Some of that area has been developed into parkland, most notably the Senate Park that stretches from Capitol Square to Union Station to the north. This and other landscapes give the Capitol campus a dignified and varied setting.