United States Supreme Court Building, Federal supreme court on Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C., United States.
The United States Supreme Court Building is a neoclassical courthouse on Capitol Hill built from white Vermont marble with sixteen Corinthian columns along the main facade. Bronze doors with relief panels lead into an entrance hall featuring marble staircases and coffered ceilings while symmetrical wings house offices, libraries and archive spaces.
The court sat in various Capitol chambers until Chief Justice William Howard Taft, who had once been president, pressed Congress for a separate building from 1929. Architect Cass Gilbert drew the plans, and the justices moved in for their first session in October 1935.
Visitors often gather in groups on the front steps to photograph the building or discuss current legal questions. School groups and tour parties use the open plaza in front for lessons on constitutional topics while lawyers and journalists move regularly through the halls.
Public sessions run from October through June with seating available on a first-come basis for those willing to queue early morning. Free entry includes access to ground-floor exhibits and the Great Hall even when court is not in session.
A regulation basketball court on the fifth floor serves staff and law clerks during breaks for physical activity within the secure building perimeter. This space emerged after employees requested recreational options during long working hours and sits directly above the chamber where constitutional cases are heard.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,012 contributors worldwide.
