Attractions
Hidden-in-plain-sightLibrary of Congress, Thomas Jefferson Building
FreeThe world's largest library, and arguably DC's most beautiful interior, the Great Hall, the Main Reading Room, and a Gutenberg Bible.
Photo: Julie Ainsworth, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
MuseumsHistory BuffRainy-Day PickFree
Folger Shakespeare Library
Folger Shakespeare Library is a museum in Washington, DC, part of the Washington DC guide. Cost: free.
201 East Capitol St SE · Washington, DC
Why you should go…
The Folger on Capitol Hill holds 82 copies of the 1623 First Folio and opened in 1932 in a white marble building by Paul Philippe Cret, carved with scenes from Shakespeare's plays. A renovation finished in 2024 added two exhibition halls where you can see manuscripts, paintings and costumes from the collection. It is free to visit, with pay-what-you-will timed passes offered for guaranteed entry. There is also a theatre, a cafe called Quill & Crumb and gardens.
- #shakespeare
- #library
- #rare books
- #theatre
- #capitol hill
What's around here?
The closest stops to Folger Shakespeare Library, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.
Right next doorSwitch it up: Attractions
- SightseeingIconic
Supreme Court of the United States
FreeClimb the marble steps under the words Equal Justice Under Law, then explore exhibitions and hear a Courtroom Lecture inside.
Steps awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing
- StayLocal Gem
Capitol Hill Hotel
$50+A boutique hotel set in 19th-century row houses a short walk from the U.S. Capitol and the Supreme Court.
0.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Stay
- MuseumsHistory Buff
National Museum of the American Indian
FreeExplore Native cultures of the Western Hemisphere inside a curving limestone building on the National Mall, with a Native foods cafe.
0.7 mi awayMore like this
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Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
FreeTouch a moon rock and stand under the Spirit of St. Louis at the world's most-visited aviation museum, always free.
0.9 mi awayMore like this
- MuseumsRainy-Day Pick
National Gallery of Art
FreeDa Vinci, Vermeer, and the Impressionists for free, plus a sculpture garden that becomes an ice rink in winter.
0.9 mi awayMore like this
