The 57th Presidential Inauguration Ceremony

I welcome all Ohioans to Washington, D.C. for the 57th Presidential Inauguration ceremony to be held on January 21, 2013. I appreciate your desire to witness this landmark moment. Since this event is open to everyone, the National Mall will have non-ticketed areas available to the public for viewing the ceremony.  

Entries for tickets from my office were accepted until 11:59 pm on Sunday, December 16th, 2012. At this time, the lottery for tickets has closed. Winners will be notified starting on December 18th. 

Individuals who are selected to receive tickets will need to pick them up in person prior to Inauguration Day.  Due to security reasons, tickets may not be mailed.  It is also against the law for tickets to be sold.  Additionally, the Capitol Building and Capitol Visitors Center will be closed to the public starting at 5pm Friday, January 18th through Wednesday, January 22nd at 9am.  My office will be unable to provide tours of the Capitol during that time.

If you decide to attend the Inauguration, please be aware that the ceremony is outside and the weather will be cold and possibly wet. You will be standing for several hours before and during the ceremony -- whether you are in a ticketed area or not. Additionally, car traffic near the Capitol and around the Mall will not be possible on Inauguration day. One of the best ways to travel around Washington and to the Inauguration on January 20th will be the D.C. Metrorail system. There may be waits up to several hours long on Inauguration day for a train, so please plan accordingly. I encourage you to visit the Metro Inaugural Page, which should be able to answer any questions you may have about Metro service on Inauguration day -- including Metro Stop closings near the Capitol.

Information on tickets that can be purchased for Inaugural events other than the swearing-in ceremony—such as Inaugural balls— is available through the Presidential Inaugural Committee. For more information on Inaugural events, you may also visit http://inaugural.senate.gov/.

If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact my office at (202) 224-2315 or use the contact form below.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  1. Will I receive notice if I didn’t win tickets?
  2. Is there a waitlist?
  3. Can I cancel my tickets?
  4. I received a call saying I won two tickets to the inauguration. Are the tickets mailed to my address?
  5. How early should I arrive to my gate for the Inauguration ceremony?
  6. Will I get to meet Senator Brown during my stay in Washington, DC?
  7. Can I visit your office on Inauguration Day?
  8. Parade tickets and Ball Tickets
  9. Do I need tickets to watch the Inaugural Parade?
  10. What is the 113th Congress?
  11. Areas Not Requiring Tickets?
  12. Where can I get media passes/credentials?

Will I receive notice if I didn’t win tickets?

Yes. My office will notify everyone who submitted for inaugural tickets regardless of the outcome.

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Is there a waitlist?

Yes. My office will waitlist those who entered the raffle and did not win. If tickets are available my staff will contact waitlisted appilcants using the communication methods provided in the raffle application form.

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Can I cancel my tickets?

Yes. If you can no longer attend the Presidential Inauguration, please cancel your tickets to ensure no tickets go unused. Please call my office at 202-224-2315 and let my staff know so that we may give your tickets to a waitlisted applicant.

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I received a call saying I won two tickets to the inauguration. Are the tickets mailed to my address?

No. You will need to retrieve your tickets from my DC office on either Friday, January 18th between 9AM-5PM, or Sunday, January 20th between 10AM-4PM. We are unable to mail tickets and they will not be available for pickup from my State offices. Please call my office with any questions you may have at 202-224-2315.

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What is the best way to travel to the Inauguration Ceremony and how early should I arrive to my gate?

Tranportation near the Capitol and the National Mall will be extremely limited on Inauguration Day. One of the best ways to travel around Washington and to the Inauguration on January 21st will be on the D.C. Subway. The D.C. Metro system will open at 4:00 AM on Inauguration Day. There may be waits up to several hours long on Inauguration Day for a train, so please plan accordingly. Please visit the D.C. Metro’s Inauguration website for more information.

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Will I get to meet Senator Brown during my stay in Washington, DC?

I host weekly constituent coffees on Thursdays when the Senate is in session. The coffees are held in SVC-201 at 8:30am until 9:15am. You may attend the coffee and no RSVP is required. Please visit: http://www.brown.senate.gov/events/coffee/ for more information.

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Can I visit your office on Inauguration Day?

Though Inauguration Day falls on a Federal Holiday, my office will be staffed from 2:00pm to 4:00pm on Monday, January 21, 2013 for Ohioans to meet my staff and enjoy warm refreshments. My office is located on the seventh floor, room 713 in the Hart Senate Office building.

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Parade tickets and Ball Tickets

The soon-to-be-established Presidential Inaugural Committee handles ticket requests for both the Inaugural Parade and the Inaugural Balls. Please visit http://www.2013pic.org/ and http://inaugural.senate.gov/ for more information.

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Do I need tickets to watch the Inaugural Parade?

No. Tickets are only required to watch the parade from certain places along the parade route, and these tickets are handled by the Presidential Inaugural Committee, which I am not a member. Please visit http://www.2013pic.org/ for more information.

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What is the 113th Congress?

On January 3, 2013, the 113th Congress will begin as every two years on January 3—per the Twentieth Amendment to the Constitution—a new Congress is established. Members of that Congress include:

  • Senators who were not up for re-election (every two years only one-third of the Senate is up for re-election)
  • Newly elected Senators
  • Newly elected Representatives

 

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Areas Not Requiring Tickets

Viewing the Swearing-In Ceremonies from the National Mall does not require tickets. The non-ticketed area of the National Mall begins at Fourth Street NW.

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Where can I get media passes/credentials?

Credentials are available by contacting the Senate departments for Radio/TV, daily print, periodicals and photography. For press inquiries to the National Park Service about the Inauguration, please call 202-619-7222.

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