Our Blog

To most, July in Washington, D.C., means hot weather and Independence Day celebrations. At the Architect of the Capitol it also means it's time to go Christmas tree hunting!

The lyrics of this patriotic song are found easily at the U.S. Capitol. Once inside the building, a portion of "America the Beautiful" by Katharine Lee Bates can be found written in the Cox Corridors of the south wing. It is also played every July 4th from the Taft Memorial and Carillon.

In today's fast-paced, instant culture, few things seem to last, including career tenures. Perhaps it's the charm of the historic campus or the weight of the symbolism it carries around the world, but at the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), it's not hard to find an employee who has spent their entire career serving this treasured institution.

The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is responsible for managing the buildings and grounds on Capitol Hill, but it also maintains several facilities across the National Capital Region, including facilities in Fort Meade, Maryland.

This Arbor Day, we celebrate the Capitol Grounds and Arboretum team's continued efforts to preserve and protect Olmsted's legacy — one of longstanding stewardship that's paying off every day.

Walking around the U.S. Capitol Grounds you can't help but be in awe of the impressive buildings and their historic meaning, what you probably don't know is that the U.S. Capitol Building is surrounded by an arboretum.

In February 2023, the United States Botanic Garden (USBG) opened the 27th annual joint orchid exhibit in partnership with Smithsonian Gardens.

The Architect of the Capitol's (AOC) Capitol Grounds and Arboretum staff are busy preparing for the upcoming growing season.

The Russell Senate Office Building courtyard was recently restored as a supplement to the Russell Exterior Envelope Project.

The dedicated Architect of the Capitol (AOC) employees of the House Office Buildings Floor Care Division work tirelessly to ensure the Capitol campus is ready to welcome Members of Congress, staff and the visiting public.

Hours before the sun rises each morning, Zamboni-like scrubbing machines scuttle through the halls of the Senate office buildings. Each is operated by a dedicated team of Architect of the Capitol (AOC) specialists who spend hours ensuring the marble flooring sparkles.

Guesses for what is behind the Capitol Building's smallest doors are as varied as the architectural details that encompass the Capitol campus. The correct explanation for their existence involves Christmas Eve, the Library of Congress and engineer Montgomery Meigs.

Our gardeners have grown almost 2,000 poinsettia plants to brighten up the United States Botanic Garden (USBG) Conservatory's annual holiday exhibit "Season's Greenings." An expert team at USBG cares for the annual poinsettia crop with daily attentiveness starting in July.