The United States Capitol is a white Neoclassical building on Capitol Hill, 288 feet (88 m) tall, with five floors and 16.5 acres of floor area. William Thornton produced the original design, which Benjamin Henry Latrobe and Charles Bulfinch later significantly altered. The cornerstone was laid on September 18, 1793, and Congress first met there on November 17, 1800.
British troops partly burned the building in 1814, and it was fully restored within five years. The House occupies the south wing and the Senate the north wing. Thomas U. Walter designed the cast-iron dome, which weighs 8,909,200 pounds and supports the Statue of Freedom. The East Front was extended in 1958 and connected in 1962. Frederick Law Olmsted planned the grounds from 1874 to 1892.
The Capitol Visitor Center opened on December 2, 2008.
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