Wonderful place, full of art and history everywhere. Guided tour is very worthwhile. Free. It is also possible to handle any book, for that it is necessary to register and request the title. Much of the collection is online on the official website. Friendly, helpful and well informed service. At some points there are people explaining objects that can be touched like a chest with objects from war soldiers. Special attention to very old objects such as the first map on which the name America appears and a Bible printed on a movable type press. Excellent ride. All free.
Start collecting reviews today
Claim your business to immediately update business information, respond to reviews, and more!
If you are in DC you have to visit this building it's so beautiful. I suggest that when visiting to attend the tour. The tour is free, easy to follow and doesn't take long. You'll have a great time and you will learn about every thing inside the building and it's meaning. Oh and if you are in DC now you have a chance to see the Christmas tree inside the library. It's one of the best I ever seen!
Ok so the 4 star is just so I can post info. This place closes at before 2130. I believe the doors close to new visitors for the open areas around 1630-1730. We showed up at 1830 and the guards informed us that the 2130 time is only for research with appointment. He was super nice and apologized but said they ve been trying to get the library to change the website but it hasn t happened yet. We saved it for last because it was the only place open later than 1730 and couldn t get in.
Walking right across the tunnel from Capitol you end up in the library of congress, which is the best way to get here. Once you are in the library, the Capitol building feels to far away from within. The art on the walls and the high ceilings are just so amazing, there are tours available as well, however I could not get on one due to shortage of time.
What a place of knowledge and learning! I was amazed to visit it in 1997 and was awed - could such a place exist on earth! Today when I find my own book REDEEMER OF GODS a play in four acts there with relevance of five star on the top of the catalog, I feel fulfilled. Thank you LOC USA! You are abode of peace and clarity!
One of the most stunning buildings in DC, not only is the lobby a piece of some of the finest architecture but signing up as a researcher allows one to get access to the main reading rooom
Had an amazing experience while visiting the library. Definitely a place like no other I have I ever seen. If you ever find yourself in DC and are on a time limit this is a number one place to go. During my visit, a priceless exhibit collection on Maya and Aztec civilisation was on display and lovely docent Judy made it even more informative and interesting. The collection is a must visit for any ancient history buff.
Underrated exhibits - often send family/friends here first because it s less overwhelming than the museums are in terms of the amount of content. The atmosphere is unbelievable and you can take the tunnel straight to the Senate building.
The incredible symbolism in the art, holdings available, magnificent architecture and dedication to knowledge and sound governing is a treasure worth spending time to see.
It's beautiful and very interesting. I wanted to grab a book to sit down with but I'd have had to apply and fill out paper work. Next time, when I have more time
Wow! This is one of the most beautiful buildings I've ever been in. From the incredible mosaic floors, to the soaring ceilings of the main reading room, to the wonderfully intricate architectural details everywhere you look, the LOC is truly a delight. Excellent exhibits as well. Definitely a must visit.
Wow! What a place, they have over 186 million items and more arriving daily! The architecture alone is something to see, besides all the displays. If at all possible get a guided tour, they are free, first come first serve, as the guide will point out alot of things that just walking around you would never notice, and what all the different symbols in the architecture stand for. A very interesting place to visit.
Just go. Unbelievably ornate and detailed. More of an art piece and architectural master piece than anything else. The real libraries are next door. Definitely take a free tour.
The Library of Congress is a wonderful library housed in three buildings on Capitol Hill and it is the largest library in the world by collection size. After three visits with two very inspiring guides I have had the possibility to see some very nice parts of the library including the extensive Scandinavian collection.
The building is incredible and the details in the ceiling and walls are amazing. However, there are no signs outside to point out that the beautiful building is in fact the Library of Congress and unfortunately when you get inside there is not enough of the actual library portion to see. There is a small glass enclosure in which you can see the reading room and that's as close to any books as i got. A little bit of a disappointment.
It s been an exciting place to visit. We arrived quite late, bus still there wasn t much time. I don t know, maybe it was just today, or because we arrived so late. After getting inside, we got a free tour, even before getting our turn to buy tickets. Even though it was free, the tour guide gave us a really informative tour. Afterwards we had time to look around in our own. Overall, I think it was worth going and anyone could enjoy it.
This is awesome Library, you have to check it out. So much to see & do here, whether you are local or a tourist. There are lot of breath taking sights inside this Library like pictures and a whole lot more....
My favourite building of all of D.C.! It's insanely beautiful! I'm going to drag all of my visitors here, no doubt. They have interesting exhibitions there too - e.g. Drawing Justice: The Art of Courtroom Illustrations
Amazing! A treasure chest of knowledge, art and literature that represents the world well. The museums on the mall are nice, but the LOC is the pinnacle and sum total of the human race.
I asked the tram and the route to the Library of Congress, and a kind guard on the outside of the Capitol corrected my wrong path. Helping relatives and friends to search for books as family members, the librarians are very enthusiastic to introduce me to the library card and enter the library room. It is only too late; the catalogue is transferred, but the books here are not complete; the library is gorgeous. The hall is also closed, and it is a pity that I can only see the inside part from the outside. On the return trip, I gave the guard Mr. a box of chocolates to thank him... The biggest gain of this trip was the library card of the Library of Congress...
This is my favorite place in D.C. The artwork and architecture both inside and out are awe-inspiring, and the collections are a fantastic way to spend an hour (or several). Bookworms especially will love the quotes engraved on the walls, Jefferson's library and overlooking the researchers.
One of the best decorated library in United States. One of must see in Washington, D.C! you can either see the museum or go to main reading room and try to grab a book from 1800's. Good place to study, too, only if you do not get distracted easily by its beauty!
If you go to the Capitol first, there is an inside walk way to the library that takes 5 min. The library itself is gorgeous! A must see. You don't need a reservation or a tour, you can explore on your own. Definitely wait in line to see the reading room. It's beautiful. There's other exhibits like early maps, Jefferson's library, and the Gutenberg bible.
This area is very tending with many ancient items from centuries ago. It's a big place that looks many times mondering European museums. Such as UK, France, Germany, Netherlands, central Europe's Ancient Culture. Very impressive to everyone in this experience. Outside of three area, there's guardian statues in the surges platform they're like sea zodiacs with legendary animals. They're green color. Underneath, there's a flip a coin section. They're outside tables in case any groups need a lunch break or relax a moment then continue things on. Inside of the place , they're many magnificent environment. In front, There's security guards around with luggage, item, and body scanners. Everyone need to place theirs luggage, backpacks, purses, wallets and even cell phones through the scanners before they decide to let fans continue their adventurous tour. They don't play when they've been advice to secure things at all.Because if they refuse, deny, disobey, decline, or choose not to go through it, they won't let people in to have fun and explore. However they have to make sure when they pass through the machine, they'll notice it's safe to have them invited. It's their 1# golden key to keep everything very safe without any major issues. That's part of they're job . No suspicion allowed. Illegal materials not accepted. Weapons are not permitted. Even fake or joking ones are not accepted. Those will get anyone in serious trouble. They'll let folks take their bottle of water with them, also juice, soda, candies, and snacks too. Not bear ,alcohol, or wine. Drugs are big refusal effort. They're not going to let that happen. After pass through, theirs two staffs for help or information about this place and whenever they make to the exit . Anytime. Folks can take photos and video for memories, experience, school projection, education, realization, fun, importance, discovery, and acknowledgment. They can have it all but the problem is, no flashing in photography and no flashlight in video recording. They don't allow that there plus is a Federal Rules and Law. Theirs security cameras on top everywhere to be 100% sure no one plan to seek this while others enjoy they're foundations. Anybody try to do this is captured by guards. Red flag and red light zone. That'll assume to be arrest record by them. They're many Spanish histories, American historic maps revolution, few states existence in 1770's. Bunch of legendary items which been around hundered of years ago. Their reststcitedly protected by security glasses by them. They have good music too. Their plug inputs to charge phones, tablets, iPads, laptops, and much more. Sometimes staff with suit jackets ask or remaind them Theirs a seat for charging. On the right, is like a Libary with older books back in the constitution. Very good. Also image boards. On the top docks can't just go up there without been accepted by a staff unless one got in line . staff watching people in case anything unusual. To make an exit, they must go downstairs where their a platform gate and security guards at. If some folks have on clue of how to get there, they can ask them, but avoid asking people especially tourist with students because most don't know about it . That's the best rap information and details. Good Luck.
This is not your typical library. This libary is full of government policy and business style documents. This is a great place for law students or congressional employees. They do have countless amounts of reading material in various topics. This libary is a great place for educator and genius people of the world.
A wonderful experience and a magnificent sight! About 12,000 new items are added DAILY! The staff are quite helpful and courteous. A must see for any visitor to WDC!
I walked in this beautiful building not knowing what to expect and I was blown away by the stunning architecture. Pillars, marble, art and the Gutenberg Bible is here. We actually saw people using this Library and next time we are going to get a library card and go explore their books. The photo ops here were fantastic. you can easily spend hours here and the guides are really good!
Enjoyed the amazing library of Congress tour. The main reading room was just da bomb. Totally worth going in to get all the resources you need. have to register and check in bags/jackets before going in though. Bit of a pain.
This was an amazing building. Easily the most ornate library I have ever visited. The reading room was one highlight. Amazing to see the room where old and one of a kind books can be read. Beautiful public areas. The amount of knowledge contained in its collection is hard to fathom. You can even get a Library of Congress library card. If you are in DC you should visit.
This is the most beautiful interior to a library anywhere in the world. It s wonderful to see that such an important place is so breathtaking with its colors and patterns, combined with an amazing collection of books. The tour is worth the start if your time is limited. This should be a mandatory stop on your national mall tour and the best thing is that it can be combined with US Capitol visit as there s a tunnel that leads directly to the library.
During my research for my book, "Touching the Face of God: The Story of John Gillespie Magee, Jr. and his poem High Flight," I found out that the original manuscript containing the poem was in the LOC collections. I was able to obtain high-resolution scans of the poem from the LOC, which I included in the book.
The Library was also very helpful in allowing me to personally view the manuscript. All in all, it was quite a pleasure in utilizing the Library of Congress for my research.
The Library of Congress, quaint and the central reading room is one of the main scenes of the national treasure. In addition, he has an underground passage to walk to the Capitol. It is recommended that the Library of Congress be lined up early.
