The Library of Congress, one of the largest national libraries of the world, was founded in Washington in 1800. Originally housed in the Capitol, the library was moved to it's permanent location in 1897 and now houses over 100 million items including books, manuscripts, maps, music, recordings and motion pictures. Public tours of the Library of Congress depart from the Great Hall of the Thomas Jefferson Building four times daily.

Open Monday to Friday 8:30am to 9:30pm, Saturday 8:30am to 6pm