I had to see the Declaration of Independence. That was a must see since I was going to be in D.C. Due to the age and condition of the documents housed at the Archives, light is kept at a minimum at just two candlepower. Very dim, but it has to be that way. If you have a camera that you can use without flash, you can snap photos and they will turn out, but you won't get much detail and they will be very dark.

But seeing the Charters of Freedom is worth more that what the pictures won't show. The Charters also include the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Although they are aged and not in good condition, they are something that you should take the time to see. I believe that their condition is even more reason to see them as you wonder how much longer they they will be viewable. But just the thought of being that close to the manuscripts that set into motion the creation of this country is an amazing feeling. Being inches away from documents handled by the original leaders of this nation is enough to make any American proud.

This tour is definitely worth taking the time to do as you can always say that you did see the Charters. There are a few guides who give a little bit of information, but for the most part, the tour is self-guided.

In addition to the Charters there is much more to see. However, I became a little pressed for time and had to leave. I would suggest to take at least an hour and a half to explore this site, more if you're planning on doing research in the archives below.

I will go back again when I visit D.C. again.

You just can't go to D.C. without getting a glimpse of the Declaration of Independence. Of course, you can hardly read any of it. But, just the thought of all the great men in this country’s history that signed it... unbelievable. The Rotunda (called: The Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom) is magnificent (as it would have to be, to be worthy of housing the amazing documents that it holds). The Rotunda/Exhibition hall holds the original copies of the 3 most historical documents in US history: The Declaration of Independence, The Bill of Rights, and the Constitution.

Also on display is a copy of the 1297 issue of Magna Carta. I found it to be amazing that this document could survive over 700 years… and legible (if you can read Latin… I can’t). The National Archives Building also exhibits other important American historical documents such as the Louisiana Purchase and the Emancipation Proclamation, as well as various collections of photos and other historically significant American artifacts. Admission is Free.

Spring and summer hours are 10am – 7pm, fall and winter hours are 10am – 5:30pm. Tip: Make sure you bring a camera that has the option to shut off the flash… there is no flash photography allowed in the Exhibit Hall. The National Archives building’s address is on Pennsylvania Avenue, however, the Rotunda entrance, which includes the Exhibit Hall is on Constitution Avenue (across from the National Mall). It is located between 7th and 9th Streets.
Several D.C. buses stop at the National Archives, and you can take the sub-way’s yellow or green lines to the Archives/Navy Memorial stop.

The National Archives: 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

The National Archives is located on Constitution Avenue between 7th and 9th Streets. The nearest metro stop is Archive-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter, which has an exit that comes out right across the street from the Archives. The station is located on the Yellow and Green Metro Lines. The Archives is open from 10am to 5:30pm daily from Labor Day to March 31 and 10am to 7pm from April 1 until Memorial Day weekend and 10am to 9pm from Memorial Day Weekend until Labor Day. It is closed on Christmas. The admission is free.

Most people come to the National Archives to see the Charters of Freedom and I will admit that I did not visit the Archives for a while because I thought that the Charters of Freedom were the only things on display. I learned that more was on display and rather enjoyed seeing the other exhibits and the Charters of Freedom.

I started my visit by watching the Democracy Starts Here film in the McGowan Theater. It is a great introductory to what the National Archives contains and has on display in its different exhibit areas. It also gives information on using the National Archives for genealogical research.

After the movie I went upstairs to the exhibit floor. I started in the Lawrence F. O’Brien Gallery. This area is for changing exhibits that give visitors a glimpse at what the National Archives has in its non-exhibited collections. During my visit the exhibit on display was "The Way We Worked," which is on display until May 29, 2006. The exhibit consisted almost entirely of photographs depicting people in the workplace. Like most of the things in the Archives, the photographs come from government agencies. Many of the photographs were taken as part of investigations or regular checks on how the companies treat their employees.

The next exhibit I went into was the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom. Here in the very dim lit room you can see the original Declaration of Independence, Constitution of the United States, and the Bill of Rights. Also, in this area are the Articles of Confederation, our failed first Constitution, and the original document for the Louisiana Purchase. While it is amazing to see the original Declaration of Independence, I suggest checking out the copy that can be seen in the Public Vaults exhibit. This copy is made from a 1800s printing plate that was made to preserve the way the Declaration of Independence looked when first created. The printing plate it is printed from is also in the case.

The Public Vaults is a very interactive area of the Archives. Here you can see documents relating to our nations history, as well as see video and hear audio relating to our history. You can listen to recordings of Presidential phone calls. Some of the audio is very hard to hear, as the recording technology had not yet been perfected. You can also make a D-day video and make your own United States seal.

I hadn’t actually planned on seeing the National Archives until Elizabeth yelled, "THEY HAVE THE MAGNA CARTA!!" My response: "Off we go!"

The National Archives is where all of our important documents live. Things like the Declaration of Independence, The US Constitution, and the Bill of Rights are on view for you to see. But that isn’t the only thing worth seeing. They also have an excellent museum space that is fascinating, extremely well done, and forgotten by most visitors to Washington. Oh yeah, and they have the Magna Carta. The Magna Carta is an English document that dates back all the way to 1215, when it was signed. This is what first limited the power of the English king and is believed to be the first step on the road to Constitutional Law, meaning if the Magna Carta had never been signed, none of those other things they show off at the Archives would have existed. Anywho, I digress.

The National Archives are open for public tours daily (except Christmas Day), and you should expect a bit of a wait. It took us about 15 minutes to get through security (and it was the toughest security of anywhere I saw in DC), and then we had to wait another 30 minutes to be able to go into The Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom, where they keep all the American Documents. You need to be really careful when you go in here. Pictures are allowed in the Rotunda, but you absolutely cannot use a flash. If you want to try and see if your flash is turned off, do it outside in the hall. If your flash goes off, even as you are trying to disable it, you won’t be able to use the camera anymore. And they are not messing around. Those people in there will tear you to pieces if they see a flash!

There is a lot more to the national archives than just the "charters of freedom." They also have a large museum space called the Public Vaults, and there is a lot of wonderful stuff in there. One thing that was excellent about it is the amount of hands-on activities. You can create your own seal, make a movie about D-Day, and learn about conservation of old documents. They also had some neat artifacts, like old hand-stitched samplers from the late 1700s, citizenship papers for Albert Einstein, and old CIA and FBI records you can peruse through.

Most people left the rotunda and walked straight out of the archives, but I really encourage you to look around. It was one of the best museums I have even been in, and they did an excellent job with the display and content. Make sure to also check out the wonderful museum shop they have. It was one of the best bookstores in DC, and they had a lot of unusual stuff.

During my last visit to D.C., the archives were undergoing renovation, and the Charters of Freedom, the Declaration, and Constitution were unavailable for public view. If you wish to see these documents--and I hope you do--be prepared to wait quite a bit if you hit it at peak times. We waited in line over an hour in the June heat. The "Experience" gives visitors an opportunity to learn about the Charters and see a film.

We choose to go directly to the document room. You will be surprised at the low light level. It is kept so for the sake of the documents. The documents are in a large semicircle with other documents that lead up to and expanded upon the Declaration and Constitution. It's really a thrill to be able to get "nose to nose" with the Declaration and the Consitution. The Declaration is protected by special glass and illumination. It is a challenge to read, as the ink is quite faded. All four pages of the Consitution are displayed for the first time ever, with the same glass and illumination.

If you ask a guard how the Charters are protected, he will tell you that after 9/11, that information is secret. Formerly, the Charters were known to have a 50-ton vault deep underground they could be lowered into in case of an emergency (nuclear strike) with the touch of a button. Fans of National Treasure will note that the real thing is quite different from the movie. That was a set that resembled the former display area, not the current one. I was amused by the fact that the DVD of National Treasure was for sale in the souvenir shop.