Tour the BEP

Most of us have never seen $1 million at once, but a visit the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) in Washington, D.C., would change that. Each year, the agency prints billions of U.S. paper currency for delivery to the Federal Reserve System. If necessary, the BEP can print a billion notes in a day.

For those who want to see the presses in action, the Washington, D.C., branch offers free 45-minute tours Monday through Friday, typically from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The tour offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the country’s money is produced. As visitors are led through the facility and factory, a knowledgeable guide shares information about the engineers, engravers, and designers who create our paper currency.

An overpass above the factory provides a glimpse into how blank sheets of paper are transformed into money. Apart from modern paper currency, in the building’s visitor center, guests can also see gold bars, along with rare coins and bills, including a $1 note featuring President George Washington and his wife, Martha.

To learn more, visit the BEP’s website.

About the BEP

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing was established in 1862, when President Abraham Lincoln authorized the issuance of federal paper currency to fund the Civil War. Modern U.S. paper currency is composed of a blend of 25-percent linen and 75-percent cotton, with red and blue fibers distributed randomly throughout to deter counterfeiting. This blend is produced specifically for the BEP by Crane Currency in Dalton, Massachusetts, and it is illegal for anyone other than the BEP to possess this paper. Bills printed at the facility become legal tender only after they are sent to the Federal Reserve for issuing.