Library of Congress050

The Library of Congress, the US's oldest cultural institution, is arguably the greatest hidden gem for family excursions. Sure, it is the largest library in the world, with an astronomical number of books, recordings, maps, photos, and manuscripts. But the Library is also host to concerts and poetry readings as well as a number of exhibitions on topics as varied as historic documents and comic strips.

Free public tours are offered Mon-Fri at 10:30am, 11:30am, 1:30pm, 2:30pm, and 3:30pm, and Sat at 10:30am, 11:30am, 1:30pm, and 2:30pm in the Great Hall of the Thomas Jefferson Building.

Public users of the Library's public reading rooms, the Computer Catalog Center, and Copyright Office public service areas where copyright resources are used are each required to have a Reader Identification card issued by the Library. The cards are free and can be obtained by presenting a valid driver's license, state-issued identification card, or passport at the Reader Registration Station in Room LM 140, on the first floor of the Madison Building near the Independence Avenue entrance. Kids must be at least 16 to get a Reader Identification card.

A Young Readers Center (located in Room G 31, ground floor, of the Thomas Jefferson Building) offers an up-to-date collection of non-circulating titles for kids, and they can browse the web's kid-friendly sites or attend programs especially designed for young readers. The center's media room also provides an opportunity for visitors to view webcasts of young adult and children's authors who have appeared at the National Book Festival. The Center is open Monday through Friday, 9am-4pm, and is closed on all federal holidays.