This morning we took a twenty minute walk back to the Capitol to look at the Senate and the House of Representatives galleries.

We visited the House of Representatives first. We walked down a hallway to where we could see the old windows of the Capitol before it was expanded. Once at the House of Representatives, we sat at the top of the level and looked down at the House floor. Looking up, we saw a glass eagle on the ceiling. The walls at the top are covered with portraits of famous representatives. On the bottom level are the 435 seats of the members of the House. 

We then visited the Senate. The Senate room also has an eagle on the ceiling. We sat down on the top level, where we watched people working on the audio system in the room. The chief spokesperson told us that on Tuesday there will be a session. A security guard informed us that the chief spokesperson and assistants take turns talking to visitors every hour. On the top level there were statues of various senators from the past. Each of the fifty states has two seats, one for each senator. Behind the podium is the chair of the Vice President, who is the President of the Senate. 

The architecture in the Capitol is amazing. There are statues and paintings in almost every room. In one room I saw a painting of a senator with a Lion. Viewing the House and Senate galleries was very interesting, but I imagine it would be very tiring to sit there for long stretches of time while Congress is in session. 

– Peter S.