guide
A guide is a person who leads travelers, sportspeople, or tourists through unknown or unfamiliar locations. The term can also be applied to a person who leads others to more abstract goals such as knowledge or wisdom.
Travel and recreation
Ex ...
service charged by the
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is Bicameralism, bicameral, composed of a lower body, the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives, and an upper body, ...
education
Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty ...
and enlightenment of the
general public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlic ...
, without charge for such tours." It exists under . The Service's operations are part of the
United States Capitol Visitor Center
The United States Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) is a large underground addition to the United States Capitol complex which serves as a gathering point for up to 4,000 tourists and an expansion space for the US Congress.Capitol Guide Board consisting of the
Architect of the Capitol
The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is the federal agency responsible for the maintenance, operation, development, and preservation of the United States Capitol Complex. It is an agency of the legislative branch of the federal government and is ...
Sergeant at Arms of the House of Representatives
The Sergeant at Arms of the United States House of Representatives is an officer of the House with law enforcement, protocol, and administrative responsibilities. The Sergeant at Arms is elected at the beginning of each Congress by the membersh ...
. These same three officials also made up the
Capitol Police Board
The Capitol Police Board is the body that governs the United States Capitol Police. It was established in 1873, and today consists of three voting members: the Sergeant at Arms of the United States House of Representatives, the Sergeant at Arms ...
. Key Guide Service personnel included the Director, four Assistant Directors, as well as many regular guides.
Personnel of the Capitol Guide Service could also be transferred to the
United States Capitol Police
The United States Capitol Police (USCP) is a federal law enforcement agency in the United States with nationwide jurisdiction charged with protecting the United States Congress within the District of Columbia and throughout the United States an ...
force at the discretion of the Capitol Guide Board to provide ushering and informational services, and other services not directly involving law enforcement. This sometimes happened during major events, such as presidential inaugurations and Lying in State ceremonies.
The Capitol Guides operated out of facilities located on the south side of the United States Capitol. Visitors were processed through the South Visitor Facility which included security screening and then directed into the Capitol, itself, via a walk around the west front of the building to enter through a west terrace door. Behind the South Visitor Facility was a trailer, which served as the temporary rest area and locker facility for the guides. Upon the opening of the
Capitol Visitor Center
The United States Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) is a large underground addition to the United States Capitol complex which serves as a gathering point for up to 4,000 tourists and an expansion space for the US Congress.polo shirt
A polo shirt, tennis shirt, golf shirt, or chukker shirt is a form of shirt with a collar. Polo shirts are usually short sleeved but can be long; they were used by Polo#Players, polo players originally in India in 1859 and in Great Britain durin ...
with circular patch on the left breast. It was accompanied by navy blue pants. The summer uniform was generally not worn until temperatures were above .