With that in mind, I can only assume that Arthur must have visited the Library of Congress. The only other time I've been so wowed by a building was my second day in Rome when I walked into the Vatican and just said "WOW" because there was nothing else to say.
I got a late start to the day because I sat at home for way too long trying to decide what to do. I toyed with the idea of hopping over to Union Station and visiting the United Postal Museum because I've actually heard it's pretty good when I realized I hadn't been to the Library of Congress yet. What happened next was way beyond what I thought my afternoon would be.
First, you walk up the steps to this view and the etched bronze doors. And just as you're saying "WOW" to that, you walk inside and get this view:
I obviously need to look up more adjectives in dictionaries inside this building to describe this place.
Around the ceiling are windows with various quotes. and I wrote down a few of my favorites:
"Only the actions of the just smell sweet and blossom in the dust."
"The history of the world is the biography of great men."
"Art is long and time is fleeting."
"Words are also actions, and actions are a kind of words."
Opened in 1897 after Thomas Jefferson lent his 6,487 books to the original 740, this was also the first building in Washington, D.C., to be constructed with electricity installed. It was named after Jefferson in 1980 and is the main library with two more next door, Madison and Adams. Learn something new every day, right?
After gawking at the ceiling for at least twenty minutes I headed to the Main Reading Room Overlook and realized - I want to be in there!
In order to actually read the books, you have to get a Reader Card that you register for in the Madison building across the street. I almost ran over to get my card and then traveled back over through the tunnels that connect the buildings. I basically felt like a secret agent at this point.
Once you're back in the library, you can drop your bags off at a cloak room and then go to whichever reading room you need. There are 22 different rooms ranging from American Folklife to Manuscripts and Recorded Sounds.
Oh, and just to add the disclaimer - you should probably have something to look up because they don't like it when you just go to gawk. I plan to visit the genealogy department to look up family records next time I'm there...which may be tomorrow. You never know. When I'm impressed with something I like to explore it!
Make sure to follow along on Instagram using the hashtag #SarahGoesToWashington to see where I am before I have a chance to sit in front of my computer!
*all images taken by me with my trusty iPhone
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