You'll see millions of dollars being printed during a tour of the BEP. The tour features the various steps of currency production, beginning with large, blank sheets of paper, and ending with wallet-ready bills!

As the U.S. Government's security printer, the BEP is responsible for the design, engraving and printing of all U.S. paper currency. A world leader in printing technology, the Bureau also produces White House invitations, Treasury obligations and other U.S. securities.

Currency production methods have changed drastically since the BEP was established in 1862. At that time, just six people separated and sealed notes by hand in the basement of the Treasury building. The Bureau moved to its present site in 1914. The Fort Worth, Texas facility was created to meet increased currency production demands - it opened its doors in 1991.

Though new printing, production and examining technologies have brought us into the 21st Century, the Bureau's engravers continue to use the same traditional tools that have been used for over 125 years - the graver, the burnisher, and the hand-held glass.

Welcome to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing's Western Currency Facility Tour and Visitor Center. Here you will learn all about U.S. paper currency, and best of all, you can actually see billions of dollars being printed as you walk along an enclosed walkway suspended over the production floor. Before or after your tour, enjoy two floors of interactive exhibits showcasing the history of currency and the intricacies of the printing process. Other features of the Visitor Center include a theatre film, a gift shop, and a vending and rest area.

The Tour and Visitor Center opened on April 26, 2004, and is free to the public. To schedule a tour, please call (817) 231-4000 or toll free (866) 865-1194.

The Famed Airplane Graveyard / Bone Yard at Davis Monthan Airforce base in Tucson Arizona. Hundreds of B 52 Bombers await the smelter, as per the Salt 2 (Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty) treaty with Russia. These bombers were laid out and chopped into pieces with a giant crane controlled guillotine. They were left in this state so they could be photographed by Russian Spy satellites for proof of compliance with Salt 2. Shot in 1994 this photograph shows an important part of Cold War History. After a few months trucks hauled away the scrap metal to be recycled at the local smelter. These famous relics are most likely beer and soda cans now. If you click on the image above a larger view of the complete image will pop up in another window.

The Airplane Graveyard, is not just a fence around piles of out dated scrap metal, millions of dollars of surplus parts are salvaged to keep other active aircraft flying. You can think of this place as a huge warehouse for all types of spare parts which saves taxpayers millions of dollars every year. Many people think the government sells flying airplanes to the general public, this is not true. Anything the government sells, which could cause potential injuries, like a life raft, pilot helmet, or a flying aircraft will be "demilled" before it leaves the base. Demilling which stands for De Militarize, includes slashing rafts with a razor knife, crushing helmets, or in the case of an airplane chopping the wings off, or cutting the fuselage into three pieces. Some of the aircraft stored at the Bone Yard are turned into remotely controlled drone aircraft like what was done with the F-106 drone program.

Fermilab, originally named the National Accelerator Laboratory, was commissioned by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, under a bill signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on November 21, 1967. Founding Director Robert R. Wilson committed the laboratory to firm principles of scientific excellence, aesthetic beauty, stewardship of the land, fiscal responsibility and equality of opportunity. Universities Research Association built the laboratory, and has operated the facility under those principles since its founding.
On May 11, 1974, the laboratory was renamed in honor of 1938 Nobel Prize winner Enrico Fermi, one of the preeminent physicists of the atomic age. Fermi's widow, Laura Fermi, spoke at the dedication ceremonies.

Two major components of the Standard Model of Fundamental Particles and Forces were discovered at Fermilab: the bottom quark (May-June 1977) and the top quark (February 1995). In July 2000, Fermilab experimenters announced the first direct observation of the tau neutrino, the last fundamental particle to be observed. Filling the final slot in the Standard Model, the tau neutrino set the stage for new discoveries and new physics with the inauguration of Collider Run II of the Tevatron in March 2001.

The Tevatron, four miles in circumference and originally named the Energy Doubler when it began operation in 1983, is the world's highest-energy particle accelerator. Its 1,000 superconducting magnets are cooled by liquid helium to -268 degrees C (-450 degrees F). Its low-temperature cooling system was the largest ever built when it was placed in operation in 1983. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers has designated the Tevatron cryogenic system an International Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark.

Fermilab has added the two-mile Main Injector accelerator to increase the number of proton-antiproton collisions in the Tevatron, greatly enhancing the chances for important discoveries in Run II. The two apartment building-sized collider detectors, CDF and DZero, have undergone extensive upgrades during the nearly decade-long preparations for Run II.

Fermilab's 6,800-acre site was originally home to farmland, and to the village of Weston. Some of the original barns are still in use by the laboratory, for purposes ranging from storage to social events. A small burial ground, with headstones dating back to 1839, has been maintained in the northwest corner of the site. Robert Wilson was buried in the Pioneer Cemetery following his death on January 16, 2000 at the age of 85.

Among Wilson's early imprints on the lab was the establishment of a herd of American bison, symbolizing the Fermilab's presence on the frontiers of high-energy physics, and the connection to its prairie origins. The herd stands today, and new calves are born every spring.

Three companies make up the Bechtel Nevada team: Bechtel Nevada Corporation; Johnson Controls Nevada, Inc.; and Lockheed Martin Nevada Technologies, Inc.

Bechtel Nevada manages operations at the Nevada Test Site and its related facilities and laboratories. Besides its work for DOE's Nevada Operations Office, Bechtel Nevada partners with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratories on many projects. Bechtel Nevada also works on projects for other federal agencies such as the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, NASA, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the U.S. Air Force, Army, and Navy.

Bechtel Nevada is organized into four major Programs: Stockpile Stewardship, Environmental Management, National Security Response, and Counter Terrorism. Organizations interested in using the Nevada Test Site for projects should contact the programs directly.

More than half of Bechtel Nevada's employees work in the Las Vegas area or at the nearby Nevada Test Site. The company has satellite offices in Livermore, California (Livermore Operations) and Los Alamos, New Mexico (Los Alamos Operations) as well as the Special Technologies Laboratory in Santa Barbara, California. Bechtel Nevada also operates the Remote Sensing Laboratory in Nevada and its sister group located near Washington, D.C.

Your tour of the Nevada Test Site includes visits to:
Yucca Mountain Science Center
Control Point 1
Frenchman Flat
DOE Radioactive Waste Management Site
Bilby Crater
Housing that withstood the Apple II test in 1955
Sedan Crater

A century slips by when you visit this park. Visitors wear hard hats and journey down 2,341 feet via a "cage." On the 27th level, the transportation shifts to a rail car for a ride back into the mine as you listen to the stories of the mining days. Above ground visitors can explore the dry house, drill shop, crusher house and engine house. Visitors also can walk the boardwalk past one of the deepest open mine pits or hike the trails in the park through a northern hardwood conifer forest, past the famous Soudan Iron Formation.

See Soudan Underground Mine Tour Brochure
Historic Underground Tour: The tour leads visitors through the world of underground mining. Visitors don hard hats and enter a "cage" for the descent into the mine. The 90-minute mine tour will take you half a mile down into the earth. Once underground you will be treated to a 3/4 mile train ride to the last and deepest area mined. The mine is 50°F year-around, so remember to bring a warm jacket or sweater and sturdy shoes. Public tours run from Memorial Day weekend through the third week in October. The park offers group tours to schools, colleges, organizations and businesses. There is a charge for the underground mine tour.

Physics Lab Tour: The Soudan Underground Laboratory is the leading deep underground science and engineering laboratory in the United States today. Scientists from around the world have been working at Soudan for 25 years trying to answer basic questions about the Universe in which we live: Is matter completely stable? What is the nature of the fundamental forces? Can we identify the Dark Matter that seems to permeate our Universe? Learn about our first neutrino events using the neutrino beam from Fermilab and see the massive MINOS detector (Main Injector Neutrino Oscillation Search).

The guided tour of the United Nations starts with a brief overview of the Organization and its structure. The main part of the tour consists of a visit to the chambers of the Security Council, the Trusteeship Council and the Economic and Social Council, which are located in the Conference Building.

During the visit, you might briefly observe a meeting. An average of 5,000 official meetings are held at the United Nations Headquarters annually. Please note that some council chambers might be closed to the public. The guide explains the functions, composition and current actions undertaken by each council, as well as the activities of the United Nations system.

Visitors also see exhibits on such topics as peacekeeping operations, decolonization and disarmament. An art collection, presented by Member States, is also part of the visit. It consists of tapestries, murals, mosaics and sculptures.

The final stop on the tour route is the General Assembly Hall, the largest and best-known room. Visitors are then escorted to the Public Concourse where the United Nations Postal Counter, the Gift Centre, the United Nations Bookshop, a coffee shop and restrooms are located.

The United States Capitol is a monument, a working legislative building, and one of the most recognizable symbols of Democracy in the world. You are planning your visit to the Capitol during a time of great growth, as we have now started construction of a Capitol Visitor Center. When finished in 2005, the Capitol Visitor Center - located under the East Front Plaza - will provide a dramatically improved educational experience for all visitors: an experience enhanced through exhibits, displays of historic documents, and documentary presentations. You will also be visiting the Capitol during a period of heightened awareness of security and safety. This concern is not simply for the security of Members of Congress and staff, but the security and safety of everyone who visits here.

Because visitation guidelines will be changing as the construction process goes along, we encourage you to call the Capitol Guide Service Recorded Information Line for the latest tour information before your visit. That number is 202-225-6827, and we update the information on it as frequently as necessary.

The United States Mint offers tours in its Philadelphia and Denver locations. At both facilities, the tours are free. Touring the United States Mint is a fascinating experience for those of all ages and one that will be remembered for a lifetime. Tours cover both the present state of coin manufacturing as well as the history of the Mint. Learn about the craftsmanship required at all stages of the minting process, from the original designs and sculptures to the actual striking of the coins. Click on the photo from either city for details on hours and addresses. Click on the photo from either city for details on how to tour that Mint facility.

Both of the Mint locations welcome school and youth groups (grades kindergarten through 12), and organized military and veteran groups and are wheelchair accessible. At the Philadelphia Mint facility, a wheelchair is also available for individuals who need assistance and office personnel can provide private tours to handicapped or older individuals who request assistance.

The United States Mint offers tours in its Philadelphia and Denver locations. At both facilities, the tours are free. Touring the United States Mint is a fascinating experience for those of all ages and one that will be remembered for a lifetime. Tours cover both the present state of coin manufacturing as well as the history of the Mint. Learn about the craftsmanship required at all stages of the minting process, from the original designs and sculptures to the actual striking of the coins. Click on the photo from either city for details on hours and addresses. Click on the photo from either city for details on how to tour that Mint facility.

Both of the Mint locations welcome school and youth groups (grades kindergarten through 12), and organized military and veteran groups and are wheelchair accessible. At the Philadelphia Mint facility, a wheelchair is also available for individuals who need assistance and office personnel can provide private tours to handicapped or older individuals who request assistance.

Special Note:
Due to heightened security concerns the availability of Pentagon tours varies. Please use the email address to contact the tour office for tour requirements and availability.

Tour Description:
The Pentagon tours program was established on May 17, 1976 to support the nation's Bicentennial Celebration. Initially, the program was to last through the 4th of July and then be disbanded; however, internal support and public demand were so great that the program has been continued ever since.

Kinds of Tours

The Pentagon conducts two kinds of tours for the general public, walk-in tours and group tours. Both tours are free and are conducted Monday through Friday. Tours are not conducted on weekends or federal holidays.

Walk-in Tours

Walk-in tours begin at 9 a.m. and are conducted once an hour on the hour. The last tour begins at 3:00 p.m. All walk-in tours are open to the public on a first come, first served basis, and always begin and end at the Metro entrance. Walk-in tour length is approximately 90 minutes, is about one mile long, and includes several staircases. All times are subject to change. During the summer months there may be a waiting period.

Group Tours

Group tours are conducted for parties of 10 or more visitors and reservations must be made at least two weeks in advance. When making a reservation, the following information is needed:

the name of the group and the number of persons in the group;
the date and time the tour is wanted, with possible alternate date and times; and
the name and phone number of the person requesting the tour.
Group tours can be tailored to meet the time requirements of the party, but normally last for 30 to 90 minutes. They begin and end at the Pentagon Metro entrance unless special arrangements for pickup and drop-off at another building location are requested.

Registration/Sign-up

The tour registration window is located at the Pentagon Metro entrance and opens at 8:30 a.m. Visitors for walk-in tours must go to the registration window first. Group tour registration is also at the Pentagon Metro entrance unless special arrangements for pickup at another building location have been made. The tour registration window is on the left just inside the entrance in the visitor waiting area.