Washington DC Attractions

Library of Congress

The Library of Congress is the oldest cultural institution in the United States. Built in 1800, the Library consists of three buildings, the Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and James Madison. It is considered the largest library in the world by shelf space and number of books.
The primary mission of the Library is to research inquiries made by members of Congress. It is open to the public, but only members of Congress, Supreme Court justices, and other high-ranking government officials may check out books. There are over 22 million cataloged books at the Library of Congress, with 5,600 printed before the year 1500.