CityBuddy
Library of Congress
Bedste tid at besøge
Weekday mornings right when doors open at 8:30 AM are the quietest, letting you enjoy the Great Hall nearly to yourself. Spring and fall offer the most pleasant weather for walking over from the Capitol or Supreme Court.
Budgettips
Entry is free, no ticket required, but you need a timed-entry pass during peak seasons (bookable online at no cost). Skip the paid guided tours and use the free audio guide available on your smartphone.
Anbefalet til
Book lovers and literature fans, History buffs, Architecture enthusiasts, Photography enthusiasts
Planlæg dit besøg
2-3 hours
Om
Hurtige fakta: The main reading room features a 160-foot domed ceiling, and the library holds over 175 million items across 470 languages. Thomas Jefferson sold his personal library of 6,487 books to Congress in 1815 after the original collection was burned by British troops during the War of 1812.
Højdepunkter: Walk into the Great Hall and look up: a 75-foot stained glass skylight glows above you, surrounded by marble columns and gold-leafed arches. The Gutenberg Bible, one of only three perfect vellum copies in the world, sits in a climate-controlled case, its 15th-century ink still crisp and readable.
Insidertips
- Enter through the Jefferson Building's ground-floor door on First Street SE, not the main steps, to skip the security queue on busy days.
- Stand at the exact center of the Main Reading Room's floor and whisper: the 160-foot dome creates a perfect acoustical focal point.
- Visit the second-floor mezzanine for the best photo angle looking down into the Main Reading Room without the crowds.
- The cafeteria in the Madison Building is reasonably priced and has outdoor seating, far better than the overpriced carts on the National Mall.
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Har du hørt om gratis gåture?
Efter at have rejst til over 30 lande, er der én ting, jeg ville ønske, nogen havde fortalt mig fra dag ét, og det ændrede fuldstændigt, hvordan jeg oplever nye byer.
Gratis gåture. Ja, faktisk gratis. Ingen kreditkort nødvendigt. Ingen fangst.
Lokal guide, 2-3 timer
Store seværdigheder, skjulte perler, lokale historier
100% drikkepengebaseret
Guider tjener kun drikkepenge, så de giver deres absolut bedste
Du giver drikkepenge efter eget valg
Til sidst giver du bare drikkepenge, som du synes er passende
Jeg har prøvet disse i dusinvis af byer, og de har været højdepunktet på næsten alle ture. Hvis du besøger Washington, United States, så gør dette på din første dag. Du vil takke mig senere.
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