WASHINGTON - Hotels across the city they they are already booked for the days surrounding January 20, 2009, the date of Barack Obama (web|news|bio) 's inauguration as the 44th president of the United States, as people from across the United States, and the world, plan to attend the historic event.

The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies decided on "A New Birth of Freedom" as the theme. The phrase was taken from Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg in honor of the 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birth, which comes just days after the inauguration.

Cleo Holmes knows what to expect.

"Crowds will be massive," she said. "Massive crowds."

"Oh my goodness, chaos, excitement," said Mary Bekwith. "I'm going to be down here somewhere!"

The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies has already printed up 240,000 tickets to the event. The tickets will be free and available only through Congressional and Senate offices. The tickets will not be distributed until a week before Inauguration day, in hopes of preventing scalping.

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At the Capitol, a more than 10,000-square-foot platform is being erected where the president-elect will take the oath of office. Security will be extremely tight and dozens of police agencies are working together.

With the Presidential Inauguration Ceremony just weeks away, people are scrambling for hotel rooms and doing whatever they can to be in D.C. for the event. Most rooms the night of Jan. 20 are gone and the few that are available will cost at least $500 for the night.

Anyone hoping for the hospitality of The Four Seasons hotel in Georgetown is out of luck.

"As of 4:30 yesterday, which was November the 5th, we had sold our last room," said hotel Liliana Baldassari, the hotel's director of public relations.

From the luxurious, to the budget, to far-out suburban rooms, and tiny bed and breakfasts, almost everything is gone.

At the Dupont at the Circle B&B, Alan Skvirsky says people are trying to get on a waiting list, hoping for a cancellation.

Even the Mandarin Oriental's presidential suite -- $209,000 for the night -- is booked.

"It's always an exciting time in Washington, inauguration. And I think this historical-making moment is going to be even more spectacular," said Erich Hosbach, the Mandarin's director of business development.

But those who can't be in the area are heading to souvenir shops to mark the moment in history.

"It's historical," said Florida resident Carol Clegorne. She said she couldn't go back home without some Obama memorabilia from the District. "I'm a history teacher and I'd like to have the buttons to show the students how people campaign."

After the historic election, people in the D.C. area can't get enough of the new president-elect. "Well, I've been trying to find a newspaper," said UK resident David Cebon, who instead picked up an Obama button as a "small token" to remember the day.

Atlanta resident Jackie Jackson-Harvey admits to having Obama fever, picking up presidential goodies for her entire family. "I got T-shirts for my grandson who's not yet 2 years old, so he'd have something to document."

Jackson-Harvey is already making serious plans to come back for the inauguration early next year and she is not alone. "Many of the guests who have called are dripping with emotion," said Marriott general manager Thomas Penny. The Courtyard Marriott downtown booked close to 30 rooms just hours after Senator Obama won the presidency. "We've had to revisit our rate strategy as a result of the demand being so great," said Penny.

At the Willard Intercontinental, where Dr. Martin Luther king Jr. finished writing his famous "I have a dream" speech, phones have been ringing off the hook. But those calling will have no luck.

"We already feel the buzz in the air and of course we've been pretty much sold out for two months now," said Barbara Bahny at the Willard Intercontinental.