A Library of Congress tour may not be on the top of the list for first-time visitors to Washington D. The Thomas Jefferson building, one of three Library of Congress buildings on Capitol Hill, is open for public tours and is well worth your time.
Completed in , this beautiful building is decorated to honor learning, literature, knowledge, creativity, and intellectual achievement. If you are a book lover, you can't miss it. The Library of Congress is open to the public Monday-Saturday. I recommend you take a free one-hour docent-led tour.
These tours are led by knowledgable volunteers who love the Library of Congress and are happy to share unique stories and insights that you will miss if you try to enjoy the beautiful building on your own. Check the Library of Congress website to confirm tour times, but they generally run on the half hour.
If you cannot do a guided tour, check out the self-guided tours at www. There are no age restrictions on Library of Congress tours, but they are not particularly geared toward children. Touring with younger children may be challenging. If you do decide to bring young children I've done it, you can start the tour and slip out when your children are finished.
The security officers at the entrance and exit may have Junior Officer stickers for children if you ask them. The Library of Congress showcases two of the library's greatest treasures: a handwritten Mainz Bible and a printed Gutenberg Bible. The Gutenberg bible was the first bible printed on a moveable press in Europe, around You can see them on the main level.
Leave yourself plenty of time to explore the impressive exhibits. There are a number of permanent and rotating museum exhibits. You can see a replica of Thomas Jefferson's library, which consisted of 6, books that Jefferson sold to the library in after the British burned the original Library of Congress during the War of Take time to explore the amazing treasures inside the Library of Congress.
It's on the ground floor. Follow signs or ask for directions. You'll find lots of picture and chapter books for children and teens. You can hang out there and read a good book or two if you're ready for a break from walking and sightseeing. Storytime, activities, and special events are occasionally scheduled. Learn more at www. You do need a Reader Identification Card to access the books in any other part of the Library of Congress. Adult participation may be limited to two per extended family or friend group.
Check in at the ground floor information desk for availability. Participation is on a first-come, first served basis. Tours are approximately 40 minutes.
Visitors with visual impairments are invited to experience a walking tour of the Thomas Jefferson Building. The Touch History tour is led by a specially trained docent who uses vivid language to describe the building. Tours last about 1 hour. Please contact grouptours loc. Explore the evolution of books from prehistoric cave paintings to emoji and tablets. Explore the impact of the industrial revolution on the design and construction of the Thomas Jefferson Building; learn about architectural symbolism of the Gilded Age; touch materials and tools used to create the building that has become the heart of the Library of Congress.
And since , the Library of Congress has been collecting and archiving every single public tweet made on Twitter. All these physical items would of course be too large to fit in the building, so most are now stored offsite in separate facilities, but still available to anyone who wants to reserve them.
The Library of Congress is also home to the largest collection of rare and historical books in North America, such as one of only three perfect copies of the Gutenberg Bible, which was the first major book printed using movable type.
The building itself is one of the most impressive and elaborate buildings in DC. At the front of the building is the Neptune Fountain showing King Neptune, the Roman god of the sea and the brother of Minerva, and his court.
Thirty three heads decorate the first-story windows modeled after different ethnic races, from Arab to Zulu. When you walk into the main entrance, The Great Hall is a beautiful site with numerous busts, statues, and paintings symbolizing knowledge and American history. I highly recommend the free tour to learn all the intricacies of this room.
The Hall leads you to the main reading room. The Reading Room is highlighted by marble columns and numerous statues of famous thought leaders and cultural icons throughout history.
The ceiling of the dome is an ornate painting entitled Human Understanding. It features a female in the act of lifting the veil of ignorance and looking forward to intellectual progress. She is accompanied by two angels.
One angel is holding the book of wisdom and knowledge, while the other encourages onlookers to persist in their struggle toward perfection.
There is a mural of twelve seated figures that surround the painting, representing the civilizations that were thought to have contributed the most to the evolution of western civilization. In order, the figures represent:. The statues positioned along the interior encircling the room and looking onto the library represent the various facets of knowledge and progress.
They include:. Library of Congress tours pictures above are from Flickr. Library of Congress Tours. Library of Congress Tours You can take several Library of Congress tours around the building, including the free one hour walking tour of the Jefferson Building no reservation needed , or a more specific guided on a particular topic or collection reservation required. Different building have different opening times: Thomas Jefferson Entrance for All Monday — Saturday, am — pm.
Pre-Register for your Library of Congress Library Card You can pre-register online up to two weeks in advance, in order to speed up the process. In order, the figures represent: Egypt, representing Written Records.
And then progressing on to Judea, representing Religion. Greece, representing Philosophy. Rome, representing Administration. Islam, representing Physics. The Middle Ages, representing Modern Languages.
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