Visiting the Electron Microscopy Center

This page will give you the basic information you need before you arrange your visit to Argonne National Laboratory for research at the Electron Microscopy Center.

Visitor Passes:
Argonne is a controlled-access facility, which means that when you visit Argonne for the first time you must obtain permission in advance, and you will need a visitor's pass to enter Argonne. For short-term visitors, visitor passes can be made valid for different time frames (one day, one week, etc.). Passes must be worn at all times on site. You can obtain a visitor's pass through the EMC staff member with whom you are in contact. Please do not come to Argonne until you have received confirmation that permission has been granted for your visit.

Once they are on-site, EMC users who are not Argonne employees may obtain a general user badge from the Advanced Photon Source (APS) User Office. The user badge can be used instead of the visitor pass. Although it is issued by the APS User Office, it is not an APS-specific badge.

When You Arrive:
You will need to bring photo identification with you to receive your visitor pass. For US citizens, a driver's license will suffice. Non-US citizens will need to bring documentation of citizenship (passport) and visa status (INS documents).

If you arrive at Argonne during normal business hours (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday), you must pick up your visitor's pass at the Argonne Information Center (AIC), located just before the Main Gate on Northgate Road west of Cass Avenue. Ask for an Argonne site map at the AIC or Main Gate to guide you to building 212. The main EMC offices are on the second floor of A-wing, above the building lobby.

If you plan to arrive at Argonne during non-business hours (or on a weekend or holiday), you must arrange with your EMC contact person in advance to have your name placed on an access list at the Main Gate, which is the only entrance open during non-business hours.

Main Gate Hours (on Northgate Rd. off Cass Ave.): 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Accommodations and Dining:
The Argonne Guest House is located within a 15-minute walk from the EMC. Many other hotels are located within a few miles of Argonne. If you will be staying at the Argonne Guest House, please let us know that before you arrive so that we can request a reduced room rate for you. Alternatively, if you show your user badge (see above) to the Guest House, you will receive the reduced room rate.

There are many restaurants within or near Argonne.

Personal Computers:
Personal computers are allowed on site, but may not be connected to the lab network without permission from a systems administrator. An administrator can add the computer to the visitor's network which provides access to the Internet but not the internal Argonne intranet.

Currency:
The hotels and banks near Argonne do not exchange currency. Plan on using major credit cards or U.S. traveler's checks, or exchange currency in advance at the airport.

Maps and Directions:

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