A hidden passageway discovered beneath the floorboards of the US Capitol has captured public attention after Republican North Carolina Rep. Tim Moore revealed the hidden door it in a viral video posted to his official X account.
The footage shows Moore lifting a secret door in the floor of the Lincoln Room, uncovering dusty stairs that lead to passageways dating back to the Capitol’s original construction in the late 18th century.
“Construction started in the 1700s, and there are all sorts of little hidden passageways,” Moore explained. “Believe it or not, my big self [has] actually gotten down, and more importantly out, of this hole.”
The Lincoln Room, which Moore said is one of his favorite locations to take visitors, served as the House’s post office during Abraham Lincoln’s time in office. Moore noted that Lincoln “would sit by a fire and read letters” in this room when he served as a congressman representing Illinois from 1847-1849.
According to Capitol lore, the staircase may have been used by British soldiers during the “Burning of Washington” in August 1814, when they set fire to the US Capitol, the White House (then known as the Presidential Mansion), and the Washington Navy Yard during the War of 1812.
“I’m told, and I can’t verify this… it’s one of the staircases British soldiers used when they breached the Capitol during… 1814 when they actually attacked Washington,” Moore said.
The footage revealed signatures on the walls of the passageway from lawmakers and others who wanted to leave their mark on the historic structure.
The US Capitol’s construction was commissioned in 1793, and President George Washington laid the first cornerstone that same year.
The original building was completed in 1826, with various expansions made throughout the centuries, including a visitor center that opened in 2008.
Moore’s tour comes as President Donald Trump prepares for the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration in 2026.
Trump recently signed an executive order establishing a White House task force to plan what he’s described as an “extraordinary celebration” of America’s founding.
Take a look —
Congressman Tim Moore reveals secret passage under Capitol floorboards https://t.co/Y9xdoOkBGe pic.twitter.com/u40Be3vfEy
— New York Post (@nypost) May 11, 2025