Hotline Offers Information About Inaugural Activities

The Presidential Inaugural Committee set up a hotline Wednesday that provides general information about inauguration activities.

But you’ll need a fax machine if you want to order tickets to certain events--and inaugural organizers still don’t know how many tickets will be available to the general public.

The hotline is (202) 484-1771.

The fax numbers for ordering tickets are (202) 772-0410 and (202) 772-0405. Ticket orders must specify the inaugural event and include the person’s name, phone number, mailing address, e-mail address and fax number, as well as the number of tickets being ordered.

According to the hotline recording, three major inaugural events--the opening ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial on Jan. 18 and the swearing-in ceremony and parade on Jan. 20--are free and open to the general public on a first-come, first-served, standing-room-only basis. The recording advises the public to arrive at least an hour early for each event.

The recording mentions that there are “a few” other inauguration events that require tickets, but it doesn’t provide any details. Those events, as announced by the Presidential Inaugural Committee on Tuesday, include nine inaugural balls ($125 a ticket), a White House reception (free), and separate tributes to American authors (free), veterans (free) and youth ($5).

Susan Phalen, a spokeswoman for the inaugural committee, said Wednesday that the public also can order tickets for bleacher seats along the parade route.

“We expect that people will see in the newspaper what events are being held and decide which event they want to go to,” Phalen said, explaining why the hotline recording doesn’t list the activities for which tickets are required.

Inaugural officials said they haven’t finalized the number of invitations that have or will be sent to party contributors and others, and cannot estimate how many tickets are still available to the general public.

“We hope to have that information soon,” Phalen said.

The hotline recording warns that the committee cannot guarantee that everyone who requests tickets will get them. It advises people to submit their requests as soon as possible and says people seeking tickets will hear back from the committee within 48 hours of its receiving their fax.

Those who want to attend the swearing-in ceremony also can contact members of Congress. Each senator receives 393 tickets, and each House member receives 198 tickets to the Capitol Hill ceremony. The tickets provide access to seats or standing areas where the view is better than it is from the areas that don’t require tickets.