Worth a detourSight · MuseumFreeRainy day

National Archives

The original Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights, displayed in a dim, hushed rotunda. Entry is free. Booking a timed entry is recommended in busy seasons; walk-ups get in as space allows.

Reserve a time →Official website

Photo: David Samuel, User:Hellodavey1902 · CC BY-SA 3.0

Open: Every day 10 AM–5:30 PM, last admission 30 minutes before closing. Closed Thanksgiving and December 25.
Price: Free; reserving a timed entry is recommended in spring and summer
Time needed: 1 hour
Best time: Late afternoon, when lines are shortest.
Address: 701 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC 20408Google Maps Apple Maps
Getting there: Archives–Navy Memorial–Penn Quarter (Green, Yellow). The visitor entrance is on Constitution Avenue.
Accessibility: Accessible entrance and elevators.
On site: Restrooms and a store; bags are screened.

Why go

In a dim, guarded rotunda, the original Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights are displayed in sealed cases. The museum around them shows how the government's records shape everyday life, and one of the original 1297 copies of the Magna Carta is on display nearby.