U . S . N A T I O N A L A R C H I V E S A N D
R E C O R D S A D M I N I S T R A T I O N
Washington, D.C.
Friday, October 29, 2004

Sight: #32

Highlights: Interesting historical documents on display, including the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights.

Lowlights: No camera flashes allowed due to the sensitive nature of the documents.

Address: 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20408

Hours: 10am to 5:30pm - the day after Labor Day through March 31, 10am to 7pm - April 1 through Friday before Memorial Day, 10am-9pm - Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day.

Admission: Free!

Link: Official Website

Rating: (5 max)

I arrive at the front doorstep of the U.S. National Archive and Records Administration (NARA).

Inscribed on the east side of the building are the words:

"This building holds in trust the records of our national life and symbolizes our faith in the permanence of our national institutions."

Okay, that about sums things up, the tour's over! Ahhh, just kidding. Stick with me, this should prove to be an interesting sight. It must be, more than a million people a year visit the NARA.

Other inscriptions include:

"The glory and romance of our history are here preserved in the chronicles of those who conceived and built the structure of our nation."

"Loading zone, no parking."

"The ties that bind the lives of our people in one indissoluble union are perpetuated in the archives of our government and to their custody this building is dedicated."

Oh wait, scratch that second one, that's a sign, not an inscription.