


It’s the world’s largest library with as of now, more than 167 million items .
That’s millions with an M , people .
It was number 134 on my bucket list and it’s the Library of Congress .
It was established in 1800 when the country was in its infancy .
During the War of 1812, like many buildings in what was the capital of the new country of the United States, the Library of Congress was burnt down by the British, destroying everything .
Enter former President Thomas Jefferson, who was in retirement down in Virginia.
He donated his personal library of books, which totaled 6, 487 books.
To say that the former president did a lot of reading would be an understatement.
If you happen to be in Washington taking a tour of the Capitol Building , which is right next door, here’s a tip for you .
You can enter the Library of Congress right through a tunnel which connects the two buildings .
If you went through security at the Capitol Building, you don’t have to do it again once you get to the Library of Congress .
Once you get inside , the building that you’re in is, what else , the Thomas Jefferson Building .
You’ll get to see many of those books that he donated in a small area called, Thomas Jefferson’s Library.
There are technically three floors of the library , but the second floor is the one that most tourists go into with the marble staircase and the statue of the goddess Minerva.
There’s also exhibits at the library.
The day I went, there was an exhibit on women getting the right to vote.
I don’t care what your party affiliation is, this is an exhibit that one should see if you happen to be doing your own 30 Plus Teams Tour of Washington or if you happen to live close by.
I was told by one of the information people that coming up there’s going to be an exhibit on Rosa Parks .
As with most of the museums in town, visiting the Library of Congress is free and easily accessible by the Washington Metro .
Use your Smart Card and get off at the Capitol South Metro station on the Blue, Silver or Orange lines.
You can also get off here for the Supreme Court Building and the Capitol Building .
Trust me, visiting all three of these places is worth the trip.
Even if they aren’t on your bucket list.


























