Event Exhibits and Tours Experience the Main Reading Room

Date and Location

  • When: Friday, April 14, 2023

    10:30 am - 11:30 am EST
    2:00 pm - 3:00 pm EST

  • Where: Thomas Jefferson Building - Main Reading Room

    10 1st Street SE, Washington, DC 20540

Request ADA accommodations five business days in advance at (202) 707-6362 or ADA@loc.gov.

The Library of Congress welcomes visitors to experience its grand Main Reading Room in the Thomas Jefferson Building. Usually reserved for credentialed researchers, this access will offer visitors a glimpse inside one of Washington’s most beautiful spaces.

Visitors to the Main Reading Room are encouraged to be mindful that it is a working research space and that the experience is one of quiet reflection. The number of visitors allowed in the space at one time will be restricted to approximately 40 guests. Visitors will be permitted to take photos of the space but may not photograph researchers at work. Bags and coats are not permitted on the floor of the Main Reading Room.

Visitors to the Thomas Jefferson Building during its regular visitor hours must reserve free timed-entry passes.