Supreme Court
Supreme Court
4.5
Monday
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
About
A Corinthian-style building where the final guardians of the Constitution deliberate.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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The area
Address
Neighborhood: Cleveland Park
How to get there
- Capitol South • 8 min walk
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2,152 within 3 miles
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828 within 6 miles
See what travelers are saying
- A Midlife AdventureDursley, United Kingdom2,766 contributionsWorth a quick stop on your sight seeing in WashingtonWe decided to take a look inside opting to do a self guided tour. As Court was not in session we could have attended one of the organised lectures but opted out of this. We gained a bit more insight into the role of the Supreme Court in the USA but for us it was all about the beautiful marble. architecture and history.Visited August 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten September 7, 2023
- Kathy CColumbus, Ohio33 contributionsPlan early if you want to get in to the hearings. Check the Supreme Court WebsiteGorgeous building. Tours were closed the day I was there. However, if you check the Supreme Court calender for days the court is in session they do allow the public to listen in on hearings. However, this group is limited to 50 people and to get in you have to line up very early on the day of the session. The arguments start at 10:00 a.m., they let the public in at 9:30. We arrived at 8:00a.m. thinking we were "early" - there were over 100 people in line. I am assuming the 50"winners" were there by 6:30-7:00 and waiting three hours. We were told that at 11:00 a.m. (the second session of the court) they might let more people in. They did - about 10, but we were still 25+ people away from getting in. We met nice people in line...that was a plus!Visited October 2023Traveled with familyWritten October 15, 2023
- daearz77Charleston, South Carolina523 contributionsUnderratedThis is not a place people tell you to check out when giving you the top places to visit in DC. However, it should be. The outside of this building is absolutely stunning. Knowing the history of the Supreme Court and judicial history in general, the monuments and statues are extremely relevant. I honestly could’ve stood on the steps of the Supreme Court for hours. This was one of the most impactful places I visited during my time in DC.Visited May 2024Traveled soloWritten May 31, 2024
- JackOld Bethpage, New York3,390 contributionsIconicThe Supreme Court is one of the three main buildings on Capitol Hill. I bought tickets ahead of time and then went there as early as possible and there was no line. There are two floors. The bottom floor is a museum and the top floor is a grand hall and the courtroom. You can see the courtroom from the outside but in order to go in you have to wait in line for tours every 30 minutes. Overall, I highly recommend visiting the Supreme CourtVisited April 2024Traveled with familyWritten June 26, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
1,524 reviews
Excellent
950
Very good
434
Average
119
Poor
13
Terrible
8
Marion V
Nanuet, NY116 contributions
Jan 2020
We planned on a self-tour of walking around the Supreme Court building. But our timing was excellent, it happened to be non-argument day. Therefore we were able to get tickets as we were walking in to the building, and we able to sit in on the swearing in of new members to the bar. It was only about 20 minutes but we were able to see 6 of the 9 justices on the bench while sitting in the public gallery.
Written February 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chris D
Athens, GA44 contributions
Apr 2022
Such an impressive building that houses the nation’s highest court. There are no tours or viewings of oral arguments going on currently (that I know of). But the exterior is still quite a sight. For those who have been inside, you know that the actual courtroom is small relative to the size of the building, but it is such an imposing room (especially for those in the profession).
Some reviews have critiqued the ability for tourists to enter the building, wait times, etc. It is very important to remember that this is a workplace (like so many places in DC) and an active courthouse/courtroom like any other in the country.
Some reviews have critiqued the ability for tourists to enter the building, wait times, etc. It is very important to remember that this is a workplace (like so many places in DC) and an active courthouse/courtroom like any other in the country.
Written May 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stacy
Nashville, TN158 contributions
Jan 2020
The building itself is breathtaking, both the interior and exterior. I was fortunate enough to receive a 30-minute oral history from a curator, Peter, who provided a thorough history of the SCOTUS while we sat in the very room where landmark decisions are made. It was an honor to visit!
Written January 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andrew Tsui
San Diego, CA282 contributions
Apr 2022
Visitors are still not permitted to enter the building. However, this does not mean that the building isn't beautiful. We originally swung by this building whilst visiting the Capitol and the national mall, and we absolutely have no regrets!!
Very nice destination for a short stop to take a look at the building which serves as the epitome of justice in America!
Very nice destination for a short stop to take a look at the building which serves as the epitome of justice in America!
Written May 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lynn S
League City, TX588 contributions
May 2022
We walked by to take pictures before we visited the Library of Congress. The building is currently closed to the public and has a high chain link fence around it. The building is beautiful inside and out. We weren't allowed inside but I have been inside before (in 1985) and I wish I could have taken my family inside. There was a grand total of ONE protestor (who was sitting down and wasn't even engaging with anyone) when we were there. The public closure is the reason for my deducting one star.
Written June 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kathy C
Columbus, OH33 contributions
Oct 2023 • Family
Gorgeous building. Tours were closed the day I was there. However, if you check the Supreme Court calender for days the court is in session they do allow the public to listen in on hearings. However, this group is limited to 50 people and to get in you have to line up very early on the day of the session. The arguments start at 10:00 a.m., they let the public in at 9:30. We arrived at 8:00a.m. thinking we were "early" - there were over 100 people in line. I am assuming the 50"winners" were there by 6:30-7:00 and waiting three hours. We were told that at 11:00 a.m. (the second session of the court) they might let more people in. They did - about 10, but we were still 25+ people away from getting in. We met nice people in line...that was a plus!
Written October 15, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MaeH4
San Antonio, TX280 contributions
Dec 2019
When you walk in, you get this feeling that just makes you proud. Loved reading all the judges bios and finding out, 5 judges were not born in the US. Go upstairs and do the room tour. It takes 20-30 minutes, very informative and well worth it.
Written January 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jack
Old Bethpage, NY3,390 contributions
Apr 2024 • Family
The Supreme Court is one of the three main buildings on Capitol Hill. I bought tickets ahead of time and then went there as early as possible and there was no line. There are two floors. The bottom floor is a museum and the top floor is a grand hall and the courtroom. You can see the courtroom from the outside but in order to go in you have to wait in line for tours every 30 minutes. Overall, I highly recommend visiting the Supreme Court
Written June 26, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
teknoge3k
Rocky Mount, VA1,786 contributions
Apr 2023
This is a fantastic building to see. You can visit the court when it's open. I am not sure if you can go in when a case is being heard, but it's a very powerful place to see. You can peek inside of the courtroom, and they also give court lectures to people. When court isn't in session, you can still see lots of busts and paintings of former justices. The building is massive and I recommend people checking it out!
Written April 19, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
APrettyLittlePark
Suffolk, VA255 contributions
Jan 2020
The Supreme Court is physically beside the Lib. of Congress - easy to do both quickly within an hour if you don't take full tours. Both are more elegant and less crowded than most other buildings in DC and both are much better tours!
Written January 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What tour did you take? Was it a 3rd party tour or sponsored by the Supreme Court itself?
Written February 10, 2020
If you can't get in line early in the morning, how long is the wait to get in typically. Is it worth it?
Written May 26, 2019
There are two ways to see the court in session -- hearing cases. Line up very early and see the whole session (or as much as you want). Line up less early (10 am may be ok but I don't know for sure) and get to sit in back for about 3 minutes. But the court isn't hearing any more cases until October.
You can tour the building without waiting in line. It is best if you go when the court is NOT having hearings because then you can go into the courtroom and see where they hear the cases. There is also a 30-minute "lecture" which is a short intro to the court, the history, the building which takes place in the courtroom (again, only when not holding a hearing).
The supreme court site is pretty clear.
Written May 29, 2019
I'm in town next Monday (Oct. 30) and would like to see the court for the 3-minute window. I see that they have both a 10:00 and an 11:00 case that day. Do I really need to get in line at 7:00 AM? Also, if I have my backpack with a camera, etc., are there lockers or something that I'll be able to put that into? Do I need to do so before getting in line, or can I have them with me in the line, and then sort them once we go in? Thanks!
Written October 26, 2017
Unfortunately, you never know how early to arrive. For the 3 minute line you can probably arrive between 7-8AM. If you want to hear an entire argument you must arrive by 6AM. Regarding your camera, etc. there are lockers for you to put your material in.
Written October 26, 2017
I have tickets to a guided Supreme Court Tour. Can anyone tell me whether the guided tour is worth it, or if we could go ourselves and see the same things? It's just at an odd time of day and doesn't coincide with where we will be while visiting other areas. However, I still want to see it.
Written September 22, 2016
We did not do the guided tour. We did it ourselves .We also had plenty of other things to do like you. So suggest do the tour yourself at a time convenient to you.
Written September 23, 2016
We will be visiting DC next week (9/1 - 9/5) and would like to visit the Supreme Court. Will there be much for us to see, will we need to get advance tickets and I'm also wondering will the cafe be available for lunch if Court isn't in session?
Written August 28, 2016
A Beautiful Building. NIce to look, appreciate and learn. Earmark One to Two Hours. Café will be open. No Advance Tickets required
Written August 29, 2016
Thank you so much for your tips TryppAdams.
I really want to see an oral argument in the Supreme Court. Where do you wait in line - is the line obvious? What time does the line form? What is the best time to start waiting in line? How long are the oral arguments? What else do you recommend seeing at the Court. Thank you. Jill
Written April 12, 2016
The line forms in the front plaza and it's very obvious where it is. And I although they generally start taking people at 9:30-10:00, I would plan to arrive to get your space in line much sooner. Space is very limited and you might be suprised by the turnout. Capitol police/security is generally pretty helpful if you just ask. Definitely something worth doing if you have the time, you could easily be sitting in on a moment in history!
Written April 13, 2016
We're heading to DC for a few days and will be there while the Supreme Court has argument days. I'd like to just see the court for the 3 minute window. I am unclear what time we should get there. Any advice?
Written April 5, 2016
I got there at 7:30 AM, which was perfect
Written April 5, 2016
mkh45
Chagrin Falls, Ohio
We are a family of 4 with kids ages 12 and 9. We will be in Washington on Monday, March 28-Wednesday March 30th. I see the lectures will take place at 1:30,2:30, and 3:30 those days. What time do we need to arrive to be admitted into the building, hear the lecture? Also, can we purchase passes in advance to avoid any lines? Are we allowed to give ourselves a self-guided tour after the lecture? Thank you for your response!
Written March 6, 2016
March isn't a particularly busy time in D.C., so I'd say you don't need to arrive any more than 10-15 minutes. Passes to get in quicker aren't available. Lastly, yes, you'll be able to do a self-guided tour. Enjoy!
Written March 7, 2016
There are no public guided "tours". There is a self guided tour of the museum exhibits downstairs and a courtroom lecture- neither of which you need to arrange in advance. Just check the supremecourt.gov website the day before to see what time the lectures are going to be and arrive in time to get through security and in the line about fifteen minutes before the lecture. It is in the actual courtroom and is around a half an hour long. No pictures are allowed while in the courtroom
Written October 1, 2015
I would love to see the suoreme court's argument next week. We are a family of 6, what time do we need to get there and can just one of us stand in line (me!) and the rest come later? Finally, is there a different time to arrive for the 10 o'clock argument as opposed to the 11 o'clock argument? Any and all information would be helpful, thanks!
Written March 25, 2015
Should have said "one person, one spot"
Written October 1, 2015
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