Brady Remarks Commemorating CVC's One Millionth Visitor
Madame Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge an important milestone. At some point early this afternoon, the Capitol Visitor Center will welcome its one millionth visitor. While the specific individual will not be identified, that person will represent the millions of annual visitors who journey to the United States Capitol Complex to witness firsthand our democracy at work. These schoolchildren, senior citizens, families and international visitors hopefully depart with a greater understanding of the unique and extraordinary nature of our system of government and the history of this great nation.
Officially opened on December 3, 2008, the Capitol Visitor Center serves as the gateway to the United States Capitol Complex. With the opening of the Visitor Center and renewed interest in government, we are seeing more than twice as many visitors as we did before. The Visitor Center’s one million visitors compares to 467,800 visitors during the same five-month period just one year ago. That represents a 114 percent increase in the number of people visiting the Capitol.
During the 12 days of the Cherry Blossom Festival, the Capitol Visitor Center welcomed 187,000 people -- an average of 15,500 visitors a day. More than 90 percent of the visitors during this period had reserved their tours through their Members of Congress.
Since its opening, the CVC’s peak day was Monday, April 20th when 19,500 people visited the Capitol. I am told that, in past years, that many visitors would have led to a four-hour wait time. The current average wait time is six to ten minutes.
With all of these accomplishments, I am most proud to confirm that, as promised, we continue to offer staff-led tours! And in its first few months of operations, the Visitor Center staff has made many adjustments to ensure that the Visitor Center provides flexibility to Members of Congress in serving their constituents.
I would like to take this opportunity to extend my congratulations to the CEO of the Capitol Visitor Center, Ms. Terrie Rouse, and to her team of professionals who are often the first individuals to greet our constituents during their Capitol visits. I offer special thanks to the tour guides, visitor assistants, Capitol Police, gift shop and restaurant staffs and the many, many others who ensure that visitors have an informative and inspirational visit. I would also like to thank my colleagues and the various staff members who have taken the time to offer their input and work with the CVC staff to improve the visitor experience.
We thank you for your service and look forward to welcoming the next one million visitors.