INAUGURAL PLATFORM - The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies

The inaugural platform is constructed entirely from scratch for each inaugural ceremony and is designed to blend architecturally with the U.S. Capitol. Planning and design of the platform began more than a year ago, spearheaded by the Architect of the Capitol. The platform is more than 10,000 square feet and traditionally holds more than 1,600 people for the Swearing-In Ceremonies, including: the President and Vice President and their families; the President-elect and Vice President-elect and their families; the Chief Justice and Associate Justices of the Supreme Court; former Presidents; the Diplomatic Corps; Cabinet Members and Nominees; Members of Congress; Governors; the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and other guests. It is ADA-accessible and the stadium design maximizes the sightlines for the platform’s guests. Additionally, the bleachers built above the platform, on the Upper West Terrace, traditionally hold another 1,000 people and often include choirs and other invited guests.