The FBI Experience
The FBI Experience is a self-guided tour offered at FBI Headquarters in Washington, DC.
Through interactive multimedia exhibits, content and artifacts, visitors will learn how the Bureau operates in the field, at Headquarters, and within communities across the country. The rich experience tells the story of the FBI’s internal operations and history, providing insight into the organization’s investigative divisions, laboratory resources, professional occupations, and more.
Tours are available Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., and 2:00 p.m. (excluding federal holidays).
Reservations for The FBI Experience must be submitted through your congressional representative's office up to five months in advance but no less than four weeks prior to your desired tour date.
Once submitted, you will receive an email acknowledging receipt of your reservation. Approximately one week prior to your reserved tour, you will receive email notification of your approval or denial to enter FBI space and the necessary tour logistics.
In the event of unforeseen operating delays and/or closures, tours scheduled during impacted hours will be cancelled. Visitors must reschedule for a future date through coordination with their congressional representative’s office.
An 11:00 a.m. tour slot is designated exclusively for school groups. Reservation requests must be submitted to fbigroups@fbi.gov no less than four weeks prior to the requested tour date and may be submitted up to five months in advance.
Entering FBI space
- All visitors must be U. S. citizens or valid green card holders.
- Visitors 16 years and older must present a valid, REAL ID-compliant, government-issued photo ID upon entry.
Visitors needing accessibility services should notify their congressional representative’s office when submitting their reservation request.
- The building and tour route are accessible to visitors with limited mobility.
- Visitors may bring personal mobility devices, including manual or motorized wheelchairs and scooters. Wheelchairs are not provided on-site.
- Elevator access is available.
- Service animals are welcome.
- Medically necessary items (e.g., glucose tablets, EpiPens) are permitted.
- All exhibit videos have open captioning; some exhibits include audio narratives.
Storage is not available at FBI Headquarters.
Visitors cannot bring prohibited items, including:
- large bags (over 8.5" x 11")
- cameras (point-and-shoot, SLR, video recorders, iPads)
- strollers, food, or beverages
- tobacco products
- aerosol containers
- weapons, ammunition, fireworks, stun guns, mace, knives, martial arts devices, or pointed objects
Visitors will have an opportunity to explore our gift shop located in the Visitors’ Center prior to starting their tour. Visitors should not expect to be able to return to the RA store at the completion of their tour.
While visiting FBI Headquarters and The FBI Experience, visitors may be photographed or recorded by the FBI for documentation, security, or promotional purposes.
By entering the premises and participating in the tour, visitors consent to being photographed, recorded, and to the use of their likeness in official FBI materials without further notice, compensation, or approval.
In 1937, the FBI tour was the face of the FBI when FBI Headquarters was located in the Department of Justice building in Washington, D.C. When the J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building opened in 1975, the tour quickly became a highlight for visitors to the nation’s capital. However, due to security concerns following the events of September 11, 2001, the tour closed.
Repurposing artifacts and information from the old tour, the FBI opened the Education Center in 2008 to provide an opportunity for new employees and law enforcement partners to learn more about the Bureau and its work.
In 2014, the FBI launched a pilot program that opened the Education Center to the public. This allowed the Bureau the opportunity to tell its story—including its history, capabilities, and ideas for the future—to a wider audience.
The Education Center closed in 2016 so the FBI could make way for a new, revitalized tour that explores the FBI and its mission to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States. The FBI Experience opened its doors to the American people on July 10, 2017, and has quickly become a popular site for visitors to Washington, D.C.
Prior to visiting The FBI Experience, the FBI will perform a security check using information such as a constituent’s name, date of birth, and Social Security number. The FBI is authorized to collect and use this information in order to protect the security of its personnel, facilities, and information systems pursuant to one or more of the following provisions: Title 28, United States Code, Section 533, Title 40, United States Code, Section 1315; Title 28, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 0.75(p) and 0.79; Title 41, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 102-81, and Department of Justice (DOJ) Order 2600.2D, Security Programs and Responsibilities (June 16, 2011). Constituent information is protected by the Privacy Act of 1974, Title 5, United States Code, Section 552a, as amended, and is maintained in the FBI’s Security Access Control System (SACS), DBO/FBI-013, notice of which was published in the Federal Register at 70 Fed. Reg. 7516 (Feb. 14, 2005) and which may be viewed at justice.gov/opcl/doj-systems-records#FBI. Constituent information may be disclosed in accordance with the routine uses contained in that notice or as otherwise authorized by law.
