United States Supreme Court Building

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.

For decades the court met in various Capitol chambers until Chief Justice William Howard Taft pushed for a separate building starting in 1929. Architect Cass Gilbert designed the plans and construction began in 1932 with justices holding 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.

Location: Washington, D.C.

Inception: 1935

Architects: Cass Gilbert, Robert Ingersoll Aitken, Hermon Atkins MacNeil

Architectural style: neoclassicism, Beaux-Arts

Floors above the ground: 5

Floors below the ground: 1

Height: 28 m

Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible

Made from material: marble, steel, Quercus alba

Part of: United States federal courts

Address: 1 First St NE, Washington, DC 20543

Opening Hours: Monday-Friday 09:00-15:00

Phone: +12024793000

Website: https://supremecourt.gov/about/courtbuilding.aspx

GPS coordinates: 38.89050,-77.00450

Latest update: December 2, 2025 21:23