NC DNCR

*Important* The State Capitol will undergo restoration beginning in September 2019. They will host no additional tours for the 2019-2020 season. If your group is not already confirmed, we will not be able to schedule a visit for your group. Existing guided tours may be cancelled due to concern for visitor safety. The scope of this project includes painting, plaster repair, restoration of historic finishes, and stone cleaning. Work is expected to last 6-9 months. We thank you for your patience and appreciate your understanding as we work to ensure the State Capitol maintains its historic appearance and continues to serve generations of North Carolinians to come.

Thank you for your interest in scheduling a tour of the State Capitol. Tours of this site must be booked a minimum of two weeks in advance. We strongly encourage you to make reservations as early in the school year as possible because the Capitol is a very popular destination with limited availability. Please note that because the Capitol houses the Office of the Governor and remains a working government building, CAVS must work within strict guidelines to schedule groups and cannot guarantee availability.

Thirty-minute guided tours are available for groups with a minimum of 20 participants and a maximum of 35, including chaperones. Tours run from 9:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and are scheduled every 15 minutes. All students and chaperones are subject to security screening upon entering the building.

Completed in 1840, the State Capitol is more than just a North Carolina icon. Recognized as one of the finest examples of Greek Revival civic architecture still standing in America, the State Capitol once housed all of North Carolina’s state government. The Supreme Court and State Library moved into a separate building in 1888, and the General Assembly moved into the Legislative Building in 1963. Today, the Governor and his or her immediate staff occupy offices on the first floor of the Capitol.

Many political and social events have taken place in the legislative chambers, among them the Secession Convention of 1861; the Constitutional Conventions of 1865, 1868, and 1875; and the impeachment of Governor William W. Holden in 1871. Today, the Capitol functions as a state historic site and regularly hosts exhibits and programs that interpret the political and social history of North Carolina. Admission is free. For more information, contact Cathy Johnson at 919-733-4994 or cathy.johnson@ncdcr.gov. Restrooms are only available at the N.C. Museum of History.

ATTENTION: RESERVATIONS FILL QUICKLY. BOOK EARLY IN THE SEASON.
This site must be booked at least two weeks in advance, no exceptions. Groups to the Legislative building are limited to 60 people.Please plan to arrive five minutes before your scheduled tour time. Late arrivals, no matter the circumstances, are not guaranteed a tour. Due to other activities at the Legislative building, we cannot make exceptions for late groups.Tours run from 8:30am - 3:30pm on 30 minute intervals.

GUIDELINES FOR VISITING THE NC GENERAL ASSEMBLY – LEGISLATIVE BUILDING
Welcome to the North Carolina General Assembly! We are looking forward to your group visiting the Legislature and appreciate you scheduling the visit through the Capital Area Visitors Center. There are multiple tours scheduled throughout the day and we must begin each tour promptly. We ask that you please make every effort to arrive on time with your entire group. Below are several strongly suggested guidelines to keep in mind while visiting the General Assembly to ensure the best and most enjoyable experience possible.

• ARRIVAL AND REGISTRATION - Upon arrival to the General Assembly, please have your students gather in a single file line behind the visitors and guests sign at the front entrance of the building located on Jones Street. The teachers are responsible for the registration of their group. Please enter through the door marked appropriately for registration. Parents, adults, and chaperones should not be responsible for any part of registration. Teachers should come to the front desk to register, receive classroom materials, be given specific instructions, and meet their Building Guide.

• SECURITY AND SCREENING - The Legislative Building now has a NEW security screening procedure in place for all visitors. In order to ensure the best possible experience, there are several recommendations that will expedite screening. All students, teachers, parents, adults, and chaperones will be required to go through screening upon entry to the building. In order to accelerate this procedure we are requesting that students leave all non-essential items including backpacks, cell phones, etc. (excluding medical items), on their respective bus. We also ask that items not left on the bus, including souvenirs, be left outside with 2 or 3 adults while the tour takes place. Below are prohibited items inside the Legislature:

PROHIBITED ITEMS THROUGH SCREENING PROCESS
Aerosol containers
Electric stun guns, martial arts weapons or devices
Knives of any size
Mace and pepper spray
Guns, replica guns, ammunition, and fireworks
Any weapon facsimile
Razors and box cutters
Pets or animals (Guide and assistance animals are permitted)
Batons and nightsticks
Signs on handsticks
Any other item or device that can be considered a dangerous weapon

The Building Guide will lead the group into the screening area. The Building Guide must be followed by the teacher, students next for screening, with parents, adults and chaperones remaining at the end of the line to be screened last.

We recommend following the above listed procedures carefully as any failure to follow the above guidelines may result in a delay for your group. We greatly appreciate your cooperation with these NEW security measures. We look forward to seeing you at the General Assembly and serving the needs of your group during its upcoming visit to the State Legislative Building!

An affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution.The North Carolina Museum of History is located in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina.

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (NCSM) is located in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Guided Tours are available throughout the year for small groups of 35 or less, Grades 4-12 and adults. This tour is 1-hour in length *If your group arrives more than 15 minutes late for a guided tour, the tour will be cancelled*.