Inauguration Tickets

November 3, 2008 9:46 AM

How does one get tickets for the Presidential Inauguration?

Everything I find on Google is kind of sketchy. What is the official distribution mechanism for inauguration tickets and how can I get them?

posted by Brennus to law & government (5 comments total)

When I worked in DC, at NARAL, that was the best way to get tickets to everything. I was there for the first Clinton inauguration, so that was pretty perfect. Do you know anyone working in DC at a political-y place? Otherwise, I understand that your representative or senator can help.
posted by ClaudiaCenter at 9:56 AM on November 3, 2008

If it were me, I would write to each of your senators and maybe even all of your representatives asking for two tickets from each. Lots of the tickets may already be spoken for, so you might want to hedge your bets by asking from as many people as possible. I'm not sure if it matters Republican versus Democratic.

(BTW, for Clinton 1992, the actual inauguration was sort of the low light compared to the rest of the inauguration week activities. It was raining, and the ticket only got you into a huge outdoor area where you couldn't really hear or see anything. The fun tickets were to things like the DSA ball (or any other ball held by people you like). Or the "real" inauguration performers had a dress rehearsal, and there were tix to that.)
posted by ClaudiaCenter at 10:10 AM on November 3, 2008

The winning candidate will establish an inaugural committee which will be responsible for coordinating all official events. You can try calling the committee once it's set up (they'll surely have a limited # of tix for the general public). You can also offer to volunteer (if you live in the area), which would also help your chances.

Seconding recs for contacting Congressmen and Senators. They always get batches, and because inaugurations take place at the Capitol, the Congressional leadership has a lot of pull when it comes to tickets.
posted by BobbyVan at 10:16 AM on November 3, 2008

InaugurationTickets.com
posted by watercarrier at 10:33 AM on November 3, 2008

"Tickets for the Inaugural swearing-in ceremony will be distributed in January 2009 by both Senators and Representatives of the 111th Congress."

From 1/5/2005: Inaugural balls and parties: How to get in and what to wear
posted by milkrate at 10:51 AM on November 3, 2008