Library of Congress

Library of Congress Photos
Library of Congress

based on 3 reviews  

101 Independence Avenue South East, Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Library of Congress Reviews

tj1777 tj1777
88 reviews
The most beautiful building in Washington Oct 20, 2008
The Library of Congress is the biggest library in the world and you can just walk in the door and have a look in possibly the most beautiful building in all of Washington DC - the Thomas Jefferson Library of Congress building. If you are going for a tour of the Capitol building you may as well use the time you have to wait for your tour and go and have a look inside the library.

When you walk in the door you will go and see an amazing building - but there are not many books around you. The only books you are likely to see is a few old bibles - one of them the Guttenberg bible the oldest printed book in the world. It is a bit strange being in the biggest library in the world and not being surrounded by books - but if you go and have a look around you will see a room which is a designated study area for people using the collection of books.

The oldest part of the library's collection is Thomas Jefferson's old personal library which he sold to the library of congress. He did this because in the war of 1812 to 1814 the British burned the original collection of books belonging to the library of congress. Hence after the war it was basically a library without any books and Jefferson had a huge collection which he could sell. Of course Jefferson being Jefferson just started a new collection in his home of Monticello.
The Thomas Jefferson Library of
Inside the hall of the library
The roof
The hall of the library of congress
The main hall
Looking down at the main hall fr
The first flour columns of the hall
marg_eric says:
Congrats on this featured review! grz. Marg :)
Posted on: Jun 14, 2009
bernard69 says:
congrats:)
Posted on: Jun 14, 2009
Jacqinmiddenamerika says:
Congrats on your featured review!! Very beautiful pictures!! :-)
Posted on: Jun 14, 2009
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Shaon Shaon
25 reviews
Thats one big library! Jun 19, 2008
World largest library, and probably the most beautiful as well. The building is amazing! There is so many little details that you can spend couple hours just to amazed. There is some free tours during the day and that is the only way to see Thomas Jefferson Buildings amazing Main Reading Hall. Or so that guy told us, but I didn´t stau that tour long because the tour guide was really boring. So I just wandered off. There is always couple exhibitions going on and when I went there they were really interesting and well made. It is really nice place to spend hour or two or even more!
Andy99 Andy99
128 reviews
The Library of Congress May 08, 2007
The Library of Congress is the national library of the USA. It is a library, and a vast one, with all sorts of books, maps, photos, films, music, musical instruments, folk music recordings, manuscripts, personal papers and more in its collections. It’s not just for Congress, but is a cultural repository for the world.

The visitor to Washington may want to come to the Library of Congress for two reasons: to see the many exhibits of cultural artifacts from the collections or to actually use the library for personal research.

The Library of Congress was founded in 1800 and was first located in a room in the Capitol building. The collection was destroyed in 1814 when the Capitol was burned by invading troops during the War of 1812. The destruction led to the famous gift by Thomas Jefferson of his extensive personal library to rebuild the Library of Congress.

The Library today consists of three city block-sized buildings on Capitol Hill. The Thomas Jefferson Building, facing the U.S. Capitol and opened 1897, is the most recognizable to visitors. Along with it are the John Adams Building (opened 1939) and the James Madison Building (opened 1980). All three are open to the public, but the Library of Congress Experience (interactive visitor center), the majority of the public exhibits, and the decorative Great Hall are located in the Jefferson Building. It’s here where you can see items like the Gutenberg Bible or the Waldseemüller Map.

Music performances in the Coolidge Auditorium and film series in the Pickford Theater are also held at the Library. Check the Library's web site for current exhibits and schedule of other activities.
Jefferson Building, Library of C
Great Hall, Library of Congress
Great Hall Library of Congress
The Gutenberg Bible
Illuminated globe at the Geograp
Adams Building, Library of Congress
Me at the Madison Building
Madison Building, Library of Con
Concert at the Coolidge Auditori

Library of Congress Blogs

Jun 24, 2008
Lena is a lover of books and libraries, so our first planned stop was the Library of Congress. On the way to the Library of Congress, we walked past the Smithsonian Castle , the Hirshhorn Museum , the Air& Space Museum , and the National Museum of the American Indian. This is a new museum and we had never seen it before… A Day in Washington D.C.
Feb 16, 2008
About 15 years ago, my family viewed an exhibit on artifacts from the Vatican at the Library of Congress.  Since then, the facility has undergone major renovation and restoration (some of which is still in progress), so my parents wanted to visit the place again.  We had a short wait to enter through security and then hopped on a guided… Asian Art
Jun 18, 2007
Library of Congress , the national library of the USA. The Library complex comprises three buldings: the Jefferson, Adams, and Madison. The Jefferson Building , opened in 1897, is the one most often thought of as the Library. As we approach the Jefferson Building, the first… Up on Capitol Hill
Sep 18, 2008
I stopped by the Library of Congress Jefferson Building today to see the Book of Secrets on display. Not a real artifact, like the nearby Gutenberg Bible or Waldseemüller Map, rather it's a prop used in the film National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets . I haven… The Book of Secrets
May 08, 2007
” The Waldseemüller Map, as it is known, went on brief display at the Library of Congress prior to a ceremony marking the formal transfer of the map from Germany to the Library.   The map is a large wall map, composed of 12 panels printed from engraved wood blocks. The figures of Ptolemy and Amerigo Vespucci look down… Mapping America in 1507

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