Old Senate Chamber – History and Facts

I have a soft spot for American history, I’m naturally enthralled with the Capitol building, and have a personal mission to see all of the hidden gems of the building that I can. So…How does one get to the Old Senate Chamber, sometimes now called the “Bullfinch gallery” and/or, the chamber’s original gallery over the dias? While I understand that access may be restricted, I can’t seem to find the entrance to either locations from the second level of the north wing.

- Sincerely,

Ye who shall not be named Intern

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Dear Ye, etc. etc.

Always enjoy hearing from fans of Capitol history and I apologize I haven’t gotten back to you lately. To answer your question, yes there is a way up there, but access is limited. The way to get up there is from the Senate Curator’s office which is difficult to find and you would need to get permission from them to get to. Here’s what you do…. The Senate Curator’s office is located right above the small Senate rotunda (right above the infamous chandelier that has all sorts of lies told about…. I’ll wait for another Cloture Detective request to get into that one).

The Senate Rotunda

How do you get to the Senate Curator? Well, there’s two ways. The first is to take that spiral staircase all the way up to the third/fourth floor (sort of in between those floors) of the Capitol OR (the easier route, is to go to the third floor of the Senate, outside the Senate gallery, and walk towards the Senate Press Room where press conferences are held. Keep walking down that hallway (all the way) until on your left side you see a door (or signs) that say Senate Curator’s Office. They have a front desk where you can ask if they can allow you up there. They control access to the gallery area of the Old Senate Chamber.

Home to the U.S. Supreme Court from 1860-1935

Now that you know who has controls that area and how to get there, here’s some historical facts. Designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, this room was home to the U.S. Senate from 1819 until 1859 and later to the U.S. Supreme Court from 1860-1935. Today the restored Chamber is used primarily as a museum, recreating the scene of many significant moments in the evolution of the United States Senate and the legislative history of the nation. The Senate met in this room from 1819 until its new chamber was ready in 1859. The next year the Supreme Court took over and remained here until moving across the street in 1935. For the next 40 years the room was used as a meeting or entertainment room. It was restored in 1976 to commemorate the history of the Senate. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 was hammered out here. The Hayne-Webster debates of 1830, concerning the right of states to nullify federal laws, were staged here, as were the Webster-Clay-Calhoun debates of 1850. Washington’s elite gathered to watch the impassioned oratory and the great compromises that took place in this Chamber.

Hope this helps! Keep the questions coming!

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