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.