library of congress

columns and arches as far as the eye can see

view looking up from the ground floor to the balcony and ceiling

I'm sure that this sculpture has some meaning, but I missed it during the tour!

After our trip to Mt. Vernon, we headed back up to the city to visit the Library of Congress. We were a tad late due to the [wet!] line outside, so we didn't meet up with our original tour and just kind of amalgamated ourselves into another. So, we're not sure how much of the actual tour we experienced, but it was very memorable.

I had already heard that the Library of Congress was a very ornate building, but I had no idea that it actually resembled the interior of an Italian palace! Simply breathtaking. There was a Gutenberg bible on display in a case, and another display in the basement about the era of early American radio and television. I really wanted to visit the stacks, but I guess you have to be a registered user and all that. Evidently anyone can register, but [per all government procedures] it's a big deal. Whatever! All I want to do is see all the books!