Self-Guided Tours
Self-guided tours of the Capitol can occur Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. excluding any weekday holidays. A Capitol Brochure (Revised: Fall 2007) is available from the Welcome Center. It is a 4.25" x 11" four-fold brochure that includes the Self-Guided Tour Sheet, a Brief History of the Capitol, and Welcome Center Information.
Guided Tours
Weekday guided tours are available for large groups by contacting the Welcome Center. Bookings for guided tours during the months of March, April, and May should be made several months in advance.
Capitol Tour Contact
Tours are scheduled on a first come, first serve basis. Scheduling of tour does not guarantee a guide will be available. There will rare instances of no guide because of extenuating circumstances.
Tour reservations for next year's legislative session are not taken until after August 1st of that year (i.e. reservations for the 2009 regular session are taken beginning August 1, 2008). Otherwise, tours are not scheduled any more than six months in advance. A tour cannot be schedule without at least seven days notice.
Groups do not need to schedule a tour to visit the Capitol. However, it is strongly recommended that they inform the Welcome Center of their intention to visit. This assures the visiting group will aware of all security concerns.
The Florida Welcome Center is responsible for tours of the Capitol only. They can be reached by calling (850) 488-6167. The Old Capitol [ph: (850) 487-1902] and Museum of Florida History[ph: (850) 224-6400] schedule their own tours.
The Tour
A tour takes approximately an hour. Groups that fail to show up on time will lose that much time from their tour. The tour begins at the Florida Welcome Center. The Welcome Center dislocated on the west side of the Plaza Level. The best time for school groups (especially 4th thru 7th grades) to visit the Capitol is when the Legislature is not in session. It is easier to visit the Capitol. There is less chaos to interfere with the group and the tour guide.
Tour Requirements
- Each tour must have at least 15 people. No group can be larger than 45 people, including the chaperones.
- School groups must contain one chaperone for every ten kids. When the group becomes larger than 45, the excess will be assigned to a self-guided tour.
- Guided tours are provided to school groups who are Fourth Grade and above.
- The following times are available Monday - Friday: 9:00 a.m.,10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
- You cannot schedule a tour on Saturdays, Sundays, or State Holidays.
- You must inform the Welcome Center whenever any changes are made to your group.
Group Information to Provide
- Name of Group or School
- Their age and/or grade level
- Size of the Group (15 min - 45 max [includes chaperones])
- Contact Person(s) with contact number(s) and email address(if available)
- Date and Time would like to schedule. Alternate dates or times should be kept in mind if primary date or time is already booked.
- Any special needs the group has.
Entrance Procedures
Before entering the Capitol, the group coordinator must check in with the staff at the Florida Welcome Center. While the coordinator is talking with Welcome Staff, the group should remain outside the Capitol until directed to enter. On occasion, a group may be delayed in entering the Capitol if the capacity of entry area is exceeded.
During the time the group is waiting outside the Capitol, no ones to climb on monuments or trees. They should also remain off the grass and flowerbeds. No one should climb in or on the fountain in Waller Park. All trash must be thrown in the proper receptacle, not on the ground or in the fountain. The traffic barricades are not to be walked on or touched by visitors.
Upon entering the Capitol, visitors must enter through a metal detector. All backpacks, purses, and packages are to be scanned by an x-ray machine. Persons with sealed envelopes or wrapped packages will be prevented from entering. Capitol Police are required to examine any electronic device brought into the Capitol. Sticks, knives or any other items that can be considered as weapons are not allowed in the Capitol. Students are not to bring backpacks, purses, cell phones, handheld games, beepers, pagers, radios, headphones, pocketknives or any other similar items or hazards into the Capitol. Groups should take these procedures into account and adjust their arrival time accordingly.
