The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, and the national library of the United States. Its three buildings hold some 100 million items—including the papers of 23 US presidents—along 535 miles of bookshelves. Contrary to popular notion, the library does not have a copy of every book ever printed, but its heaving shelves are still spectacular.
The LOC, as it's affectionally called, should top every visitor's list. To get your bearings, watch the 20-minute welcome film in the visitors' center, which provides a clear picture of the place’s scope and size. Then, join a guided tour.
The original library was crammed into the Capitol. Ransacked by the British in 1814, it revived when president-scholar Thomas Jefferson offered his collection of 6,487 books. The Thomas Jefferson Building—the main one—was finished in 1897 and splendidly restored upon its centennial. Based on the Paris Opera House, the Library has granite walls supporting an octagonal dome, which rises to 160ft above the impressive Main Reading Room. Gloriously gaudy mosaics, frescos and statues overwhelm the visitor with a gush of 19th-century high culture.
The Main Reading Room, perhaps the LOC's crown jewel, is an architectural marvel. Its classical marble archways and great plaster figures of disciplines (Philosophy, Religion, Art, History—all women) flanked by bronze images of their mortal instruments (Plato, Moses, Homer, Shakespeare—all men). The floor includes a bronze zodicac wheel, too.
The James Madison Building, opened in 1980, encloses an area greater than 35 football fields. It houses the copyright office, manuscript room, film and TV viewing rooms and the incredible photography collections. Diagonally opposite is the 1939 John Adams Building, which contains the Science and Business reading rooms.
The library hosts several long-term exhibitions, all with an interactive focus; curators regularly rotate the exhibits to show off the library's vast collection. Also on display are the library’s collection of Bibles and Thomas Jefferson’s collection of books and manuscripts.
If you're a regular LOC visitor, you can obtain a reader registration card with photo ID. Your card grants you access to the library's many reading rooms, but be warned you can’t wander all the shelves yourself: a librarian will dig out your selected text.