National Archives Experience

Who knew that document storage could be so much fun? The National Archives (and Records Administration) is tasked with maintaining records and documentation on all three branches of Government. Established in 1934 by statute, the National Archives also maintains responsibility for the Presidential Libraries. The National Archives is located just North of the National Mall (Entrance is at street level on the Mall side of the building). The building is located at the corner of 7th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission to the National Archives is free.

Upon arrival at the National Archives I found a place at the end of a relatively short line. There were approximately thirty people ahead of me awaiting admission to the facility. I am certain that the National Archives controls the number of visitors at any given time. However, the line moved quickly, seemingly slowed only by the security screening located just inside the doors. It was hot and muggy the day I went, and the wait outside was not comfortable. A longer line might require some protection from the elements. My wait, fortunately, was five or ten minutes. The security screening is less intrusive than an airport screening, requiring visitors to place metal objects in a screening box and then passing through a magnetometer. I managed to set off the alarm, which required a secondary screening with the wand. I was quickly wanded and waved on.

The National Archives can be a bit of a rat maze. The exhibits are marked with overhead signs directing traffic towards various displays. The most popular exhibit within the National Archives is the Rotunda For The Charters of Freedom. This rotunda is located on the "Main Level" which is actually a level up from the street entrance. Prior to entering the Rotunda you will find a display of the Magna Carta secured in a glass document casing. The display provides information on the historical events leading up to the creation of the Magna Carta by English Barons. As you pass the Magna Carta display, you will find a serpentine cattle path that you must wait in for admission into the Rotunda. There was a very long line at this exhibit with more than one hundred visitors waiting to be admitted. The line moves surprisingly fast. The exhibits in the Rotunda do not require an excessive amount of time to view, and there are groups of visitors (read that school field trips) that take up a lot of room in the line but traverse the displays rapidly. The documents which hold the honored place within the Rotunda are the prized possessions of the United States...they include the Declaration of Independence, Constitution of the United States and Bill of Rights. A brief history of the documents is included in the exhibits.

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