Yesterday, the Washington Post's Philip Kennicott panned the new Capitol Visitor Center, repeatedly comparing the design to an airport. Frankly, I thought the piece sounded a bit fussy—almost as if Kennicott had grown up in the Capitol and now was witnessing some builders tear up his old backyard.

Well today the Post follows up with a piece about the first tourists checking out the new space. Their reactions:

• "I thought it was fantastic," says one visitor "It's one of the most important buildings in the world, and one of the most majestic. This is a perfect place to start the tour. It was expensive [to build] but probably worth it." The woman's only complaint: "the long, sloping entrance way mars the overall beauty of the Capitol building."

• "The movie was great; the place was very classy; the exhibit hall was very impressive"

• "We've been waiting for this for years...In the summer, it gets so hot here, and you could stand in the steaming heat and pouring rain for hours. For people who don't live here, it's not something they're going to give up on, so they just stood and waited."

Above: Emancipation Hall

Above: Stairs leading from the Capitol Visitor Center to the Capitol Building

Above: Capitol Visitor Center Exhibition Hall

Above: Landscaping along the approach to the entrance to the Capitol Visitor Center looking east toward the Library of Congress

One of two orientation theaters

Photo and Caption Credit: Architect of the Capitol