The Nation's Memory

Where: Washington, DC

When: May 29, 1997 / May 10, 2014

With: Class trip / Nic, Dave & David

In addition to housing our country's main government buildings, museums, and monuments, Washington, DC also houses many of our country's most important documents. There are two main buildings that play an important role in this task: the Library of Congress and the National Archive Exhibit. 

The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world. It contains millions of documents, including books, photographs, and maps that together show the history of the United States. It is the official research library of Congress and official library of the nation. 

Whether taking a book out or not (just kidding, only high ranking government officials can check a book out), it is worth a visit just to see the entrance, or the Great Hall, of the Thomas Jefferson building. While only two levels high, they are a grand two levels, with columned arches and an elaborately painted ceiling. 

When I first came here as a 14-year-old, I was blown away. It was probably the most impressive building I had ever seen to date. The ceiling alone blew me away, as well as the other kids on our trip, like Jon, who went ahead and laid down on the floor of the Great Hall to get the photo. Classy.

As an adult, I finally had a good zoom on my camera to really get a close up of the stained glass ceiling. 

Climbing the stairs to the second floor. 

The main reading room of the building is equally as impressive as the front, a giant rotunda that feels like something out of Harry Potter. It is capped with a large dome on top and would probably be impossible for me to read under, as I would just be staring all around me rather than focusing. 

While the Library of Congress holds all the books, the most important documents are housed in their own special building, the National Archives. This building is simple, housing the three most documents that founded our country: the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution. Not surprisingly, photos are not allowed inside as the delicate documents are encased in glass in a dark room with only just enough specialty lighting to see them. 

There is no shortage of impressive sites in DC, and the one's that hold the collective "memory" of our nation are definitely some of the most impressive.