Inaugural Platform Facts
History and information on the inaugural platform used during the Inauguration of Presidents of the United States
The inaugural
platform is constructed entirely from
scratch for each inaugural ceremony.
The platform will be
more than 10,000 square feet—the same
size as the platform used for the 2005
inaugural, which was the largest
platform ever built for an inauguration.
On inauguration day
it will hold more than 1,600 people
including:
- The President and
Vice-President-elects and their
families
- Members of U.S.
Senate and House of Representatives
- Cabinet members
and nominees
- Justices of the
Supreme Court
- The outgoing
President and Vice President
- Former presidents
- The Joint Chiefs
of Staff
- Governors
- The diplomatic
corps
In addition,
bleachers built above the platform, on
the Upper West
Terrace will hold another 1,000 people
including choirs and guests.
It is built entirely
of lumber, to protect the surfaces of
the Capitol.
The platform is fully
ADA compliant.
It is a stadium
design, which maximizes the sightlines
for the guests on the platform.
It is designed to
blend architecturally with the U.S.
Capitol.
Planning and design
of the platform began more than a year
ago.
Courtesy of the Rules
Committee U.S. Senate
