5,000 Inauguration Parade Tickets Going On Sale Today At 1 PM

The Presidential Inaugural Committee has announced plans to sell 5,000 seated tickets along DC's parade route. Tickets, which are limited to four per person, go on sale via Ticketmaster at 1 pm EST today. (Thanks for all the notice!) Get your clicker fingers ready, as these are likely to sell out in a matter of seconds.

Although tickets are not required for viewing the parade, they'll save you from having to spend long hours in the frigid weather fighting for a spot. Standing room will be available on a first-come, first-served basis along a 1.7-mile stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue. The Secret Service won't allow people to begin lining up along the route until after 7 am on January 20. For entry points, click here. For a map of the parade route, click here. Keep in mind that you will only be able to cross Pennsylvania Avenue at certain points and at certain times. Be sure to map your route if your seats are on the opposite side of the street to be sure you cross at the right place and time.

Keep Reading for Tips on How to Survive the Inaugural Parade

Be aware that you'll be prohibited from bringing chairs, strollers, tripods, coolers and "thermal containers" inside the parade route. With much of the city closed to car traffic, some parade-goers are planning to ride bikes to the events. You won't be able to bring your bike inside the security points, but the Washington Area Bicyclist Association will be providing bike valet services.

Some tips from seasoned parade-goers: There's a two-hour lag time between the swearing in and the parade. Since many businesses will be closed, you won't be able to pop in just anywhere for some warmth and a bathroom. Make a game plan with friends and family beforehand with a meeting spot, whether that means getting reservations at a restaurant or ducking into one of the nearby Smithsonian museums, which just announced that they plan to remain open during the Inauguration.

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[Photo: Presidential Inaugural Committee]

Comments (5)

Return to » 5,000 Inauguration Parade Tickets Going On Sale Today At 1 PM

Is $25 worth a guaranteed seat?

is the parade what I really want to go to or the swearing-in ceremony? Still kinda confused about what is actually going to be going on down there

Hi there BS, This is certainly a tough call. The Presidential Inaugural Committee has posted a general schedule here: http://www.pic2009.org/pages/schedule/. The swearing in starts at 10 am, well after it is expected that the parade route will fill up. So unless you're one of the lucky few with tickets to both, you'll have to decide which you'd prefer to attend. The swearing in is really the focal point of the day. The 240,000 tickets that were available for the swearing-in have already been distributed through Congress. Everyone else will have to watch via the large television screens being set up along the National Mall. If your priority is getting a closer view of the man himself, I'd say that the parade is the way to go. And if that's the route you choose, I'd say the $25 seats are MORE than worth it. Those with a seat get to arrive between noon and 1 pm instead of at 7 am when it is expected that those without seats will begin jockeying for standing room along the Pennsylvanian Avenue. You'll also be on bleachers and more likely to get a view of the more than 13,000 musicians, student groups and others participating in the parade (not to mention the man himself).

Thanks! so O is actually in the inaugural parade? That would be pretty awesome i guess.

Did anyone out there have luck with obtaining tickets. My friends and I tried for more than a half an hour straight to no avail.

Jaunted

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