Visit the National Archives in Washington DC

Washington DC holds so much history of the United States. There are countless museums showcasing art, spacecraft, transportation and American history. But there’s one museum in Washington DC that holds something you definitely want to see while in the nation’s capital – original copies of the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights. The National Archives Museum is a must-see while exploring Washington DC.

If you’ve seen the movie, National Treasure with Nicholas Cage, you’ll recall how be snuck into the National Archives Museum and stole the copy of the Declaration of Independence so he could find a map and locate a treasure. This is that building.

Here’s a rundown on what you’ll find in the National Archives Museum.

You Can’t Take Photos While Inside the Museum

You may be surprised to learn that they DO NOT allow photography inside the building. In speaking with one of the security guards and browsing their website, there’s a very good reason they’ve banned all photography: the flashes damage historical items.

You might think, “Why can’t I turn my flash off?” It’s a great question, but in an effort to preserve the artifacts and documents, they’ve banned all photography because many people simply forget to turn their flash off. That means there would be a lot of unintentional flashes going off in the museum. Their solution was to ban all photography, and that makes a lot of sense to me. Although it makes it challenging for me to show you what to expect on your visit if the only photos I can share are of the building’s exterior.

Directions and Tickets to the National Archives Museum

The National Archives Museum is free to visit. However, if you plan to visit during the busy season – March through Labor Day (early September), it’s recommended that you snag a reservation online in advance of your visit. There is a $1 convenience fee for tickets purchased online, but it allows you to enter the museum without having to wait in the general admission line.

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The National Archives Museum is located on the north side of the National Mall along Constitution Avenue. There’s a sculpture garden nestled between the National Museum of Natural History and the National Gallery of Art and the archives are just north of that.

The best way to get around Washington DC – especially if you’re planning to tour the National Mall – is via the metro. The Green and Yellow lines both stop at the Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter metro stop, which is the closest stop to this museum.

When you exit the metro stop, you’ll be on the north side of the museum. The entrance to the building is on the southwest side of the building. While it’s important to get a photo or selfie of you in front of the iconic facade and pillars of the building, you can’t enter through the front doors.

There is metered parking along the National Mall, if you decided to drive.

Getting Inside the National Archives Museum

Follow the signs to the entrance door on the southwest side of the National Archives Museum. To enter, you’ll need to go through a security check. Backpacks, coats, purses, etc. need to go through the X-ray system, while you go through the metal detector. Only one bag is allowed per person, which cannot be larger than 17 x 26 inches (43 x 66 centimeters) in size. Once through the security check point, you’re free to wander the museum at your own pace.

See the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights

One of the main reasons people flock to the National Archives Museum is to see three historically important documents. On display in the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom is the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights. As you might expect, the documents are old. They were penned in the late 1700s, making them more than 200 years old. That’s why they don’t allow photography of these documents with all the flashes.

What’s your viewing style? I was talking with a friend who absolutely loves to explore Washington DC. He would spend hours trying to read every word of those famous documents. His wife, on the other hand, would enter the room, take a look at the documents and check off “seen” on her bucket list and then head to the next museum. I think I’m somewhere in between – I’d read some of the writing on them to see what stands out.

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I would encourage you to spend a decent amount of time learning about these historic documents. Read about them. Try to understand the significance of each word chosen, and think about the hands that penned each of them.

After taking in what you can in the Rotunda, you can venture to the other areas of the National Archives Museum.

Wander through the Public Vaults

The Public Vaults are your opportunity to interact with the records and documents held at the National Archives Museum. The archives hold more than paper documents. As you wander through the public vaults, you’ll find audio recordings, satellite images and more. It’s a small sample pulled from the archives storing unnumerable amounts of history.

Here are a few of the things I noted during my time exploring the Public Vaults:

• Copies of FDRs Fireside Chats
• Notable patents
• Audio recordings of Teddy Roosevelt on the campaign trail
• Emancipation Proclamation
• Federal investigations – like UFOs
• Audio recordings from the Oval Office
• Letters from President George Washington
• Letter from baseball great Jackie Robinson about civil rights and desegregation
• Abraham Lincoln’s telegrams to his generals

Other Exhibits in the Museum

Beyond the Rotunda and the Public Vaults, there are other permanent and temporary exhibits. The National Archives is chock full of history, so don’t rush through the exhibits.

Here are a few of the notable exhibits and what you’ll find during your visit.

• Record of Rights. You’ve probably heard the name 1297 Magna Carta, but do you know the significance of that document? It gave rights to people of England and its values influenced the rights laid out in the documents found in the Rotunda.
• All American: The Power of Sports (Temporary Exhibit – Jan. 2024). Throughout history, sports has been influential in breaking barriers. See artifacts, photos and documents, including baseball cards from the 1920s, trophies, video footage and more.
• Boeing Learning Center. If your kids (or even you) want to play the role of an archivist, visit the ReSource Room. You can wear white gloves and grab a magnifying glass to examine historical documents. This area is open Monday–Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., though hours may vary by season. No reservations are required.

The Details

Address: 701 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20408. The Museum is located north of the National Mall, across the street from the Sculpture Garden of the National Gallery of Art.

How long to spend: Plan on about 90 minutes. You could easily spend 3-4+ hours exploring the museum if you want to dive deeper into the artifacts on display.

Cost: There is no admission fee to the National Archives Museum.

Hours: Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Website: https://museum.archives.gov/

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