National Archives, Washington D.C.

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I was very lucky to visit the National Archives as it reopened a month before my visit after a few years closure for renovation. The price was almost one hour waiting time. Well, I can't complain about that, never!

The huge building with no windows fills an entire city block and is rather boring in style except the south (for visitors) and north (for researchers) entrance designed like a Greek temple in Neo-classical or Greek Revival style. Milford, Massachussets pink granite (in fact not at all pink) and Indiana limestone was used to build exteriors of the National Archive building. Indiana limestone was used to build Empire State Building in New York City and the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia as well. I paid attention to two high flagpoles with huge US national flags put on both sides of the front facade.

The National Archives building is the one most people visit when the come to D.C. One of the advantages of having a 200 or so year old country is that we have the original documents that said so. The Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and various other declarations and laws are here in really thick protective glass that you can wait in line to see.

They are somehow digging out underneath this huge marble edifice to stick a vault in so that these documents can be lowered into them in case of nuclear attack. If there is a nuclear attack, I doubt "where is the Constitution?" will be my first concern. However, we need to spend all that tax money on something.

There is a large fountain in front of the National Archive, sort of sandwiched between a few museums. It is full of statues, and has a little cafe behind an actual stolen Parisian metropolitan entrance. Okay, so maybe it wasn't stolen.

Either way, there are various spray jets around the fountain that sort of shoot in the air towards the middle. They are attached to a clock, so that every five minutes or so they land closer together. It's sort of fun to just sit here and cool off, as the jets of water tend to bring down the ambient temperature. There are plenty of benches around for this purpose.

The archives building provides a wealth of documents that reflect the American heritage. Similar to the Library of Congress, this is an excellent place to perform research with primary documents. You will find the most important documents in the country here: The Declaration of Independance and the Constitution of the United States. In addition to these documents, there are several noteworthy items readily available for the general public to examine.

Visit National Archives to see the 3 most important documents of US -- Declaration of Independence, Constitution of the United States, and the Bill of Rights. These 3 documents are housed in a rotunda as seen in photo. These documents are so old and protected behind thick glass walls that I couldn't see a word even when close up. But it's still worth a visit because it's the foundation the country is built upon.

The National Archives displays the documents most significant to the history of the United States, which include the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and the Bill of Rights.

Hours are as follows:
Spring 10 AM - 7 PM
Summer 10 AM - 9 PM
Winter 10 AM - 5:30 PM
The Archives are closed on Sundays, federal holidays, and December 25.

Lectures and workshops are planned frequently. Check the website for details.

The National Archives along Pennsylvania Ave. is the chief headquarters to similar administrative buildings across the United States. Here (as well as in other locations) are some of the most important documents of American government, culture, and personal belongings belonging to ordinary people from earlier ages.

Visitors to the National Archives have a chance to view the Charters of Freedom (the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the first pages of the American Constitution): all of them being nearly 230 years old. If you're wondering why they look green, it's not your eyes fooling you. Protective gasses in the protection glass helps maintain a stable atmosphere for the documents, which recieved considerable damage in the 19th century because of poor preservation techniques.

Also available at the National Archives is one of the few copies of the Magna Carta known to exist. This copy, written in Latin, dates back to 1297, and is signed by Edward I (Longshanks), and is one of the direct descendants of modern governmental law binding a ruler to an assembly. Strangely, the Magna Carta is in much better shape than any the three Charters of Freedom, even though it's five hundred years older!

Tours can be arranged with the National Archives to view other materials off limits to the drop-in visitor. Check out the National Archives' excellent website for more information.

Outside, the building is a beatiful example of the architecture of Washington DC's historic monuments and buildings. Inside, the exhibit hall displays American treasures: The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, and The Bill of Rights. There are also other exhibits with themes of American cultural and historical heritage.

The front hall of the National Archives contains one of the original Declarations of Independence. Viewers stand in single file in the central rotunda and have a short time to view this particular document. Take some time to walk around!