As part of a two-year restoration project, the Capitol dome is slowly being covered in scaffolding. While this means dome tours are not taking place, the view from the scaffolding — seen in photos shared by the Architect of the Capitol — is pretty great.

The project, which began last fall, is now in the scaffolding​ and restoring phase: “With the completion of the safety netting installation inside the Rotunda, work on the towers and bridge on the West Front continues. The scaffolding assembly on the Dome (currently visible at the Peristyle level) will continue upward and is scheduled to be completed in late 2014. As certain portions of the scaffolding are completed, repairs on the cast iron can begin.”