TOUR: Thomas Jefferson Building at the Library of Congress Private Guided Tour

Monday, September 15
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
10 First Street SE, Washington, DC 20003
Registration Required for up to 25 people

OLLI is pleased to offer a unique tour of the Thomas Jefferson Building at the Library of Congress. We have been invited to tour on a Monday when the Library is closed to the general public. A member of the Library’s docent staff will serve as our guide. 

No matter how often experienced, stepping into the Great Hall of the Thomas Jefferson Building, the crown jewel among the three buildings housing the Library of Congress, is always a revelation, a feast for the eyes. Opened to much fanfare in 1897, this was the first permanent home of the Library of Congress, “the book palace of the American people,” and today the largest public collection of knowledge in the world.

Our Tour

Our overview of the Thomas Jefferson Building past and present will provide historical context and explain how the Library has evolved since its founding in 1897. Our docent will explain the stunning architectural details and describe the history and allegorical meanings of mosaics and sculptures. We’ll visit the Jefferson Library collection, which has been relocated from the Rare Book Library to a more accessible room on the mezzanine level. Here you will see the books that Thomas Jefferson sold to the Library for $23,950 in 1815 after the original building was burned during the War of 1812. We will have time to explore the collection on our own and note which books were part of the original sale and which were replacements following the 1851 fire. 

The Docent will then take us to areas in the Library that are not open to the public, to further explore this magnificent building.  

Members are welcome to stay after the tour and explore the building including current exhibitions, and the reading rooms.

Pre-Register for a Reader Identification Card!
OLLI members and guests attending the tour are invited to pre-register for a reader card. Complete the online pre-registration form here after you have received your tour confirmation, and at least two weeks prior to the tour date. Bring a valid ID such as a driver’s license or passport. Library staff will take an identification photo, have you provide a digitized signature, and issue your card. Your Reader Identification Card is valid for two years.

Arrival and Check-In
Please plan to arrive no later than 10:15 AM. Everyone must pass though Security at the visitor entrance upon arrival at the Thomas Jefferson Building, below the stairs, located on  First Street SE, between Independence Avenue and East Capitol Street (see map here). After entering the building proceed to the Ground Floor Information Desk where our group will meet OLLI’s tour coordinator, please do not wait outside. The building is ADA equipped for those who require assistance.

Directions to the Thomas Jefferson Building can be found here.