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Washington, D.C.

Left of the entrance is another statue, its inscription reads: "The Heritage of the Past is the Seed that brings forth the Harvest of the Future."

The entrance to the exhibition is located a little ways from the front entrance.

Once inside, I promptly go through security. I then talk with someone from the visitors center where I learn about a movie that's about to begin in their new auditorium. I immediately go to the William G. McGowan Theater and settle in for the show.

Unfortunately, when they were building their new auditorium, they failed to include a popcorn concession.

The movie turns out to be a good one, enough to make up for the lack of popcorn. It describes the history of the NARA and its recent efforts to restore the Declaration of Independence and other important documents. It proves to be a rather interesting and informative film.

After the movie, I make my way to the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom. That's where I'll find the 900 lb gorillas of important historical documents, namely, the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.

Upon arrival I find the rotunda dimly lit. Light is a bad thing for old, historical documents. It slowly degrades them, their print fades, and before you know it, there's nothing left to read. The rotunda is broken down into three primary sections, one section for each of the three important documents.

Before I take my pictures, I check three times to make sure my camera isn't in flash mode. Flash photography is strictly prohibited here. I wonder, what would happen if I indiscriminately snapped a bunch of shots using my camera's flash?