Welcome to Washington, D.C.!

This EarthCam camera is your free ticket to the majesty and history of the Capital of the United States of America. With flags flying 24 hours daily the U. S Capitol Building, home of the United States House of Representatives and the U.S Senate, stands as an enduring symbol of democracy. When French engineer, Pierre Charles L'Enfant, designed Washington D.C. he selected a hill at the East end of his design of a national mall for the capitol, calling it a "pedestal waiting for a monument". EarthCam is delighted to share views of L'Enfant's "monument" to Democracy and its surroundings.

The symbolic and architecturally impressive building has been updated and redesigned throughout its 200 year history to accommodate the changing requirements of the nation's growth. George Washington laid the cornerstone in 1793 to mark start of he construction of the building. Before its completion a major restoration was necessary after ruinous fire set by the British during the war of 1812. The latest change, the addition of The U.S Capitol Visitor Center, was completed in 2008. The entire project is located completely underground so as not to detract from the capitol and its grounds. The Capitol faces the Washington Monument across the National Mall. The site is familiar as a backdrop for presidential inaugurations and rotunda as a traditional setting for Presidents and respected leaders to lie in state for final tributes.