Visitor Services offers three civic education tour options to meet the needs of students across Washington. All tours provide an introduction to representative democracy, cover the three branches of government, and explore the physical locations of the Senate, House of Representatives, Governor's Office, State Supreme Court, Rotunda, and State Reception Room.

Civic Education Tour - Field Trip

The calendar for In-Person Civic Education Tours of the Washington State Capitol is currently full. Please call the Tour Office at 360-902-8880 to be added to our waiting list. Thank you!

Duration: 3 hours
Grades: 4-12
Group Size: 20+ students
Availability: January-June

• Request a Civic Education Tour
• Download Teacher Field Trip Planning Guide

Guided Virtual Tour

The guided virtual tour lets students and teachers interact in real time with a tour guide. The tour guide leads students through a virtual experience of the Washington State Capitol, exploring the historic locations where government happens! The tour offers plenty of opportunities for questions and answers.

Duration: 60 minutes
Grades: 4-12
Group size: 20-60 students
Availability: Year-round

We recommend you reserve as early as possible, as availability is limited.

• Book a Guided Virtual Tour
• Download Guided Virtual Tour Planning Document
• Download Virtual Tour Best Practices

Xplore Washington State Capitol App

The Xplore Washington State Capitol app offers students an immersive and engaging digital content experience on the workings of state government without leaving their classroom or home. Utilizing augmented reality, 360 degree panoramic views, voice overs, photos, and text, students can learn about the three branches of government and the importance of voting and public participation in the law making process. The app is appropriate for all ages, but is geared specifically to 4th and 5th graders.

Duration: Suggested time 30-40 minutes
Availability: Free app on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store
PDF version: Download the Self-Guided Virtual Tour Contents (text and images)

The Xplore Washington State App is accessible for use on most smartphones, tablet devices, and computer browsers (WebVR) for free via the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. To experience the WebVR version, please select from the options below.

• If you have an Android phone: Xplore Washington State Capitol - Apps on Google Play
• If you have an iPhone: Xplore Washington S. Capitol on the App Store
• If you are using a PC: WebVR - Xplore Washington State Capitol (timelooper.com) - for PCs
• The same information is also available in PDF format