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Take Five: The U.S. Botanic Garden
Things don't slow down just because it's winter. See five reasons to explore the U.S. Botanic Garden this season, including tropical flowers like this Epicatanthe Volcano Trick Orange Fire orchid.
Delve deeper into the stories behind the people, art, history and grounds.
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History & Discoveries
Displaying 151 - 165 of 283
By devin dotson | December 21, 2016
Things don't slow down just because it's winter. See five reasons to explore the U.S. Botanic Garden this season, including tropical flowers like this Epicatanthe Volcano Trick Orange Fire orchid.
By franklin bradley | December 15, 2016
Time has taken its toll on the United State Capitol's stone, but our preservation effort will restore even the finer details, hand-carved by artisans. The more complex items are being recreated by a stone carver on-site, who is carving from the same stone blocks the original craftsmen worked.
By erin nelson | December 8, 2016
The Capitol Building's Insulation Division is as "behind the scenes" as you can get, often working within containments to ensure the safety of those who visit and work on the U.S. Capitol campus. In addition to insulation, the shop also performs dust control and hazardous materials abatement.
By stephen t ayers | December 5, 2016
The entry sequence and progression through spaces are carefully thought out by architects as buildings are designed. Architect of the Capitol Stephen Ayers describes how we can experience Capitol Hill's magnificent national treasures the way they were originally imagined.
By franklin bradley | December 1, 2016
A special tool helps our stone masons repair and replace the mortar in the low stone walls lining Capitol Square.
By justin kieffer | November 17, 2016
Each one of us has the ability to learn a new skill that we are passionate about and then use that gift in ways that can help others.Each one of us has the ability to learn a new skill that we are passionate about and then use that gift in ways that can help others. This doing good story is of an AOC employee who volunteers with Angel Flight Soars, working to transport cancer patients and others to treatment centers.
By ted bechtol | November 2, 2016
It can be hard to find a tree in the forest that meets all of the Capitol Christmas Tree criteria, but the Superintendent of Capitol Grounds has done it again.
By erin courtney | October 7, 2016
It's been more than 500 years since Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue. See how his 15th century journey was depicted by 19th century artists in art throughout the U.S. Capitol, including frescoes by Brumidi, a sandstone relief and the bronze the Columbus Doors by Randolph Rogers.
By michele cohen | September 28, 2016
We have made some interesting discoveries about the details of the sculptures and the sources of some of the depicted figures; we discovered and solved a few puzzles, and we also came across a few mysteries that we're still working on (and we'd welcome your help!).
By erin courtney | September 1, 2016
A variety of letters and numbers appear on buildings or in art work on Capitol Hill.
By michele cohen | July 18, 2016
The Ulysses S. Grant Memorial in Washington, D.C., is undergoing a dramatic transformation. Curator for the Architect of the Capitol describes the restoration work on the bronze components and marble pedestals. When completed viewers will again see the subtle details of the original sculpture.
By erin courtney | July 11, 2016
With the recent Kennedy Center announcement that the award-winning musical "Hamilton" is coming to Washington, D.C., the options to explore and experience one of our Founding Fathers in our nation's capital has never been better.
By sarah davis | July 1, 2016
While the most frequent calls from building occupants are related to climate, being successful in this line of work is about more than overcoming hot and cold conditions.
By devin dotson | June 21, 2016
Opened to the public on October 1, 2006, the National Garden is a key element of the USBG, along with the Conservatory and Bartholdi Park.
By lisa maltbie | June 17, 2016
The U.S. Capitol jurisdiction has introduced a new auto brake machine which offers an unprecedented capacity to bend metal. Electronically stored diagrams also save precious time that was previously spent sorting through hundreds of paper copies and manually recalling historical diagrams.