Located at Blue Mound Road in Forth Worth, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing allows you to view your first billion, without having to even earn it!
The Visitor Center of the Bureau, which was established on 26 April, 2004, allows visitors to view the facility on guided tours and learn almost everything there is to US paper currency, while also walk the proverbial billion-dollar walk over the production floor where the money is actually printed. You can also view two floors of interactive exhibits which depict the history of currency and delve into the nitty-gritty of the actual printing process. While you're here, don't forget to peer into the Eloquent Impressions Cases which display the craftsmanship of engravers and designers through their artistic renderings of counterfeit-safe banknotes. There is also the Collection of Philippine Notes and Postage stamps which were created by the Bureau for use during the period in which the United States was in control of the Philippine Islands. This collection is of special interest as the individuals depicted on the banknotes, postage and revenue stamps are significant in the history of the islands, especially in the period between 1898 and 1946.
Visitors can also view a 15 minute film about the production process if they don't have the time to take the entire tour. You can even take a peek into time with the turn-of-the-century spider press, a much-used currency redemption desk and even an original engraver's bench. At the end of your tour, you can stop by at the Money Factory Gift Shop for a quaint souvenir of your visit, or even an out-of-the-ordinary gift idea. Admission is free of cost and on a first-come-first-serve basis.
The Bureau and the Visitor Center are open to tours and guests from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm with guided tours departing every half-hour from 9 am to 2 pm in the months between August and May. May and June see the Bureau of Engraving and Printing open from 10:30 am to 6:30 pm with tours scheduled between 11 am and 5 pm. If you're planning to visit in a group of 10 or more, you can even call ahead and pre-schedule a tour for your party. For further information, you can refer to the website http://www.moneyfactory.gov or call the Bureau of Printing and Engraving — Western Currency at 817-231-4000.
The Bureau of Printing and Engraving
Western Currency Facility Tour and Visitor Center
9000 Blue Mound Road
Fort Worth, TX 76131
