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National Archives Museum

www.archives.gov
Tripadvisor (3,601) · History museum in Washington, United States
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Repository where the most important historical documents of the United States are held, such as the original Declaration of Independence, Bill of …

Reviews

Tripadvisor
4.5/5 · 3,601 reviews
5-star
67%
4-star
19%
3-star
6%
2-star
3%
1-star
5%
Recent reviews
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Dec 6, 2024
This place should be a must stop for everyone. The historical documents, are a must. It was also brilliant to see another copy of the Magna Carta (my second after seeing the other in Lincoln Cathedra… Full review by F1LoverAnn
Nov 7, 2024
Our visit was greatly enhanced by a superb docent. He was a volunteer, but went out of his way to be sure we appreciated and understood what we were seeing. A well run and impressive museum. Full review by GinnyNM
Oct 28, 2024
I first visited as a teen while on a school trip. And every time I'm in DC, I make another journey here. In addition to the famous historical documents on display, there are changing exhibits as we… Full review by Kittygal
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Articles

The National Archives is a bombproof and nearly fireproof facility that protects the nation's most treasured documents. The methods use…
cityseeker.com
Monument, museum, and the nation's memory, the National Archives, headquartered in a grand marble edifice on Constitution Avenue, preser…
fodors.com
This small museum hides some of the greatest documents in human history or at least the history of the United States of America. It stor…
sygic.com
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Facts

Located:Constitution Avenue between 7th Street and 9th Street, NW, Washington, D.C., U.S.
Construction completed:1933–1935
Architect:John Russell Pope
Architectural style:Classical Revival

Questions & answers

Q:
What else is there to see
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National archives or anywhere in DC?
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Q:
There don’t seem to be any tickets available for this attraction. Are there walk up tickets available on the day?
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You don’t need tickets, unlike several Smithsonian museums and the Capitol, unless you’re a large group.
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Answer by Sean K · Dec 11, 2023
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My questions are Are the staff (security guard /special police) of this place friendly to foreigners? Are foreigners not …
Q:
My questions are Are the staff (security guard /special police) of this place friendly to foreigners? Are foreigners not welcomed at this place? The reason I am asking these questions is because of the reviews here. I am planning a family trip to the National Archives Museum. We are from a foreign country where English is our second language. My family members and I read the reviews here. It seems foreigners were not treated well here. In one of the reviews, a foreigner did not violate any regulation, but one of the security guards threatened to toss this foreigner out of the museum. Another reviewer, we think he is a foreigner, or looks like a foreigner. The moment he entered the gift shop, a security guard yelled at him, "Do not touch anything if you not going to buy. If you not going to buy anything, you shouldn't be in here!" But he just got into the gift shop and did nothing, why all the yelling? In other reviews, similar to the previous two, security guard yelled at foreigners a lot. It seems that foreigners are presumed guilty of something. Should we skip this place? Or, if we decided to visit this place, what should we prepare? What should we do to please security guards here?
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I did not find this to be the case at all and I am sorry to hear other people had this experience. All though there were several of the guards who had ‘mean’ looks on their faces, I found …
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I did not find this to be the case at all and I am sorry to hear other people had this experience. All though there were several of the guards who had ‘mean’ looks on their faces, I found them all to be nice when I asked a question. Their main job is to keep people from taking photographs of the documents because they are so worn and hard to read from years of photography and traveling to get where they are in the archives. I really encourage you to go to the archives. It holds some truly amazing documents from the past, including the Magna Carta from the 13th century. Put your camera away in this building and enjoy. Like all the other Smithsonian museums, it’s free to get inside. Enjoy your trip to DC. It’s a lovely city and overall, the people are very kind. If you have time, take the moonlight monument tour with Sam and Sal tours. The tour guide is from Africa so English was not his first language either. He was a great guide and it was a fantastic tour that is away from all the crowds. I hope you have an amazing time!
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What makes the Special Police so special here? Why many reviewers experienced rudeness and condescension of …
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What makes the Special Police so special here? Why many reviewers experienced rudeness and condescension of the special police officers at security checkpoint, rotunda, exhibitions, and the gift shop since 2009? Are most of the special police officers trained to treat museum visitors with rudeness and condescension? One of the reviewers mentioned military honor guards. Can you still see them at this facility?
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I travel a great deal and it never ceases to amaze me how difficult tourists/visitors can be. My guess is that their demeanor is really needed to make sure that rules are followed. SO …
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I travel a great deal and it never ceases to amaze me how difficult tourists/visitors can be. My guess is that their demeanor is really needed to make sure that rules are followed. SO many people want to create their own rules. I have found that if you are pleasant, you will be treated fairly.
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Q:
I didn’t print out my tickets
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No tickets needed. Just show up
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Frequently asked questions

Q:
How are records frozen?
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The agency has requested a change in the retention period for the records series or system in accordance with § 1228.32; or
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