The Supreme Court will open its new visitor entrance on May 4, 2010, as part of the Court’s modernization project. The new entrance, which will serve as the primary means for public entry, was designed in light of findings and recommendations from two independent security studies conducted in 2001 and 2009. The entrance provides a secure, reinforced area to screen for weapons, explosives, and chemical and biological hazards.

Beginning on May 4, visitors may enter the Court from the plaza through ground-level doors located on each side of the front steps on the west side of the building. Visitors will not be able to enter the building through the front doors at the top of those steps, but they may exit the building through those doors. They may also exit from the ground floor through the Maryland Avenue on the north side of the building or the East Capitol Street doors on the south side of the building. The Maryland Avenue door will continue to serve as an entrance for employees, guests with scheduled appointments, and members of the press who hold Supreme Court credentials.

The Supreme Court’s Web site provides additional information about the new visitor’s entrance. See “Visiting the Court” at www.supremecourt.gov.