Demonstrators stormed the U.S. Capitol Wednesday, breaching the House Chamber, where law enforcement officers were seen with their guns drawn.
At the Capitol, Congress meets to introduce, debate and vote on legislation. It is also the site of presidential inaugurations and State of the Union addresses.
The 19th-century neoclassical building, besides being an impressive architectural marvel in its own right, houses a museum of art and history, containing more than 300 works of art.
The artists featured in the collection include Allyn Cox, Constantino Brumidi, John Trumbull and Thomas Crawford, among others.
Most notable among the collection may be the National Statuary Hall, which consists of 100 statues contributed by all 50 states. The hall features statues of major historical figures, such as George Washington, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Helen Keller and Chief Standing Bear.
The U.S. Capitol campus also houses office buildings, Supreme Court buildings, the U.S. botanic garden and the Library of Congress — the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution that contains millions of historically important books, recordings, photographs, newspapers, maps and manuscripts.
The U.S. Capitol is visited annually by three to five million people. It covers about four acres of Washington D.C. and contains approximately 540 rooms.
