FBI Headquarters
FBI Headquarters
4
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Duration: 2-3 hours
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  • Archives • 4 min walk
  • Federal Triangle • 5 min walk
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  • CbinBigD
    Dallas, Texas142 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Go on this tour! One of the best in DC.
    The FBI Experience tour was one of the best i have been on in DC. There were docents or volunteers who had law enforcement experience could elaborate on famous cases in the tour displays (think BTK killer, Watergate, Patty Hearst and more). Plus they had scenes setup (e.g. bank robbery) where you had to identify the clues to resolve the case. Security clearance required way in advance, so plan accordingly.
    Visited April 2023
    Written April 20, 2023
  • Fe_is_Me
    Jeffersonville, Indiana278 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent!
    This was by far the best part of our trip. Our tour guide, Tony, worked part time as the FBI expert on America’s Most Wanted tv show and he did not disappoint in his vast wealth of knowledge and expertise on countless cases. He made the tour EVERYTHING!! He is phenomenal! I wish I would have caught his last name so if anyone happens to catch it, please send me a message. He truly made it memorable and because of him, considering a change of careers and applying to the FBI
    Visited May 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written May 17, 2023
  • James R
    29 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A Great overview of what the FBI does
    The FBI Experience was well worth the 1.5 hours taken. This is a self guided tour but there were individuals throughout the experience that made it almost a guided tour. It starts with the history of the FBI then offered exhibits and photos of many of its high profile cases including the OKC Bombing and the Boston Marathon bombing and 9-11. Well for the time and its free. You just have to send in a request and then they will do a security search and send you confirmation
    Visited May 2023
    Written May 22, 2023
  • Nichole N
    3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Tony made the whole experience!
    We had a great time exploring the visitor's center. There was a lot of memorabilia from famous cases and interactive exhibits to give you a sneak peak into some of the ways the FBI solves cases. This tour was self guided but we were shown around by a retired FBI employee Tony. He made the whole experience so much richer. He went above and beyond to connect with everyone in our group, learn something about them to be able to highlight things in the exhibit they would appreciate. Tony took great care to make sure that everyone enjoyed the experience. He's certainly a gem.
    Visited August 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written August 15, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles160 reviews
Excellent
70
Very good
36
Average
45
Poor
7
Terrible
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Nichole N
3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Couples
We had a great time exploring the visitor's center. There was a lot of memorabilia from famous cases and interactive exhibits to give you a sneak peak into some of the ways the FBI solves cases. This tour was self guided but we were shown around by a retired FBI employee Tony. He made the whole experience so much richer. He went above and beyond to connect with everyone in our group, learn something about them to be able to highlight things in the exhibit they would appreciate. Tony took great care to make sure that everyone enjoyed the experience. He's certainly a gem.
Written August 15, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

CbinBigD
Dallas, TX142 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023
The FBI Experience tour was one of the best i have been on in DC. There were docents or volunteers who had law enforcement experience could elaborate on famous cases in the tour displays (think BTK killer, Watergate, Patty Hearst and more). Plus they had scenes setup (e.g. bank robbery) where you had to identify the clues to resolve the case. Security clearance required way in advance, so plan accordingly.
Written April 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Debborn
Rye, CO50 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2014 • Couples
This is straight from the FBI's website and my congressman is trying to arrange a tour for my husband and I -

"The FBI tour was the public face of the FBI since 1937 when FBI Headquarters was located in the Department of Justice building. In 1975, the J. Edgar Hoover building was opened to house Headquarters and the tour became a significant component of the new building. Following the events of September 11, 2001, the tour was closed due to security risks, as well as associated costs, and has remained so for nearly 10 years.

In 2008, multiple divisions across the Bureau joined forces to convert the “tour” to create a modern education center to educate new employees and our numerous partners (local, state, tribal, and international law enforcement, federal agencies, Congress and others) with an understanding of the Bureau and its unique national security and law enforcement mission. The new Education Center would give visitors a rare inside look into the FBI’s vital role in protecting the United States and Americans overseas from those who would do us harm.

On August 25, 2014, the FBI launched a partner-public pilot program that opens the FBI Education Center to the public to tell our story through an historical perspective, and outline our many capabilities and future direction. During this pilot program, the public can request a visit to The Education Center by writing and arranging the visit through their respective Congressional office.

The Education Center is open Monday through Thursday during normal business hours.

The FBI requires 3 to 4 weeks advance notice from Congressional offices prior to your visit. The visit itself will take two hours and you should arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled visit."
Written September 14, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nathan W
Anchorage, AK17 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2018
This was really cool! I booked a tour of the FBI not really sure what the tour would encompass. I was blown away! You enter through the actual J. Edgar Hoover FBI building (agents are working out or just going about their business) and then you and your group are escorted through a small portion of the FBI building to the interactive, self-guided tour.

The tour is really unique, it shows displays of agents in training, and talks about the training they have to go through. It has displays of famous evidence (boat from the Boston Marathon Bombing) and interactive exhibits based on typical FBI duties (evidence collection, bank heists, hostage situations, etc.). I enjoyed it myself but I’d highly recommend it for families with little kids; there were a bunch running around and they looked like they were having a blast. My favorite part is that the tour guides were both retired agents and other active duty agents kept popping into the tour to talk and answer questions. We even got to see agents qualifying with their handguns.
Written June 26, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

phale24
Doylestown, PA43 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
Firstly, you'll need to contact your congressional representative to obtain invitations and then be cleared for the visit so plan ahead. There is no cost and there is even a little FBI experience gift shop you visit before starting the mostly self-guided tour. The guides are very happy to engage in any topic that comes up. Should you have Jon, stick with him as he was a veritable encyclopedia of information and was keen to discuss some of the more arcane bits of the history. You can spend 25 minutes or 2 hours (we did the latter) and enjoyed every bit. They have an intriguing number of artifacts from various cases from the very early days all the way through the Boston marathon bombings. It's designed for smaller groups so make the most of the time.
Written December 12, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Taylor
Alexandria, VA3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2017 • Family
The FBI building recently reopened its tour. From 2014-2016, they had the "FBI Education Center", which was something of a pilot program for re-opening the FBI tour. They closed this about a year ago for renovations, and have now reopened and re-branded it as "The FBI Experience".

I enjoyed the tour. It's mostly a self-guided tour through a 14,000 sq ft museum featuring several exhibits, short movies, etc., with several staff members hovering around your group to answer questions. They have some interesting artifacts, as well as fun exhibits for kids and myself. My favorite exhibit consisted of a room with 2 TV's where you could see the live feed from two hidden cameras in the next room; you then go into that room and try to find the cameras (hint: it's impossibly difficult). I would say generally the target audience is probably 8+.

General tips/info:
* You basically can't have any bags with you (backpacks, purses, camera bags, etc.), though we were admitted with an Ergo baby carrier/wrap. Strollers, food/drink, weapons, etc. are also prohibited.
* You CAN bring a camera, but no video recording is permitted.
* We acquired tickets from our local congressional representative (you should request them at least 1 month in advance of your tour).
* The gift shop is at the beginning of the tour. After the tour, you cannot get back to the gift shop!
Written July 10, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

susan2909
Aberdeen, UK1,066 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2019 • Friends
we just walked past, no idea on how to get a visit/tour. But, its quite cool (to me) to just have the FBI office right there on the street, no guarding fence wall etc.
Written July 9, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

boulder78
Pocatello, ID8 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2017 • Family
Great space that ha definitely been updated from what was there years back. Very professionally done with easy to navigate displays. It was a little much for a 2 y/o old, but the working NYPD cruiser that you could sit in was his highlight! Pictures were allowed inside the tour as long as wifi and Bluetooth were turned off. My nightlight was getting a picture behind Hoover's actual desk!!! There was also a really thoughtful 9/11 portion...

Final surprise was the boat from Boston that the Boston bomber was caught in!!

Great tour, but be sure to buy the FBI swag in the gift shop before the tour!

Written July 15, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

gmaj_05
Jesup, GA513 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2016 • Family
My family recently got a tour of this building through our congressional office. We had to jump through all sorts of security hoops to get in.... standard screening, ID check, no bags, no cameras allowed, etc. I was quite disappointed to learn that all you actually tour is the "educational center" in a different building. It is just a lot of exhibits about crimes that the FBI has been involved with investigating. Our tour guide was less than knowledgeable about many of these artifacts and gave some incorrect information at times. The artifacts themselves were interesting but not worth the security it took to get in the building. I spent the entire day with no camera because of this tour..... I don't get it. Also, there was no live fire demonstration as the gun range is under repair. I guess I'm glad I did this to say that I have been there, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you have lots of extra time. The tour took two hours.
Written April 13, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

BradJill
Hong Kong, China159,771 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2014 • Couples
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) headquarters in Washington DC is found at the J. Edgar Hoover Building located on Pennsylvania Ave. Unfortunately, tours of the FBI have long ceased. However, there is a good FBI Exhibit at the Newseum at this time, check their website for details.

The J.Edgar Hoover building, being designed during the 1960s makes use Brutalist architecture (popular at that time), making use of concrete block-like structure. Unfortunately, the building is not particularly friendly on the eye. Further, the pedestrian area around the building is lined with large planters barriers. While their purpose is understandable, they contribute to the drab appearance of the FBI headquarters.

In the end, have a look at the FBI building if you happen to be passing by in route of other sightseeing endeavours. However, there is little reason to factor this one into your itinerary at this point in time. If you want a nice FBI experience, consider a visit to the Newseum while they feature the informative FBI Exhibit there.
Written January 28, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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FBI Headquarters, Washington DC

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