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National Archives Museum, Washington, DC

Photo: Another Believer, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

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National Archives Museum

National Archives Museum is a museum in Washington, DC, part of the Washington DC guide. Cost: free.

701 Constitution Ave. NW · Washington, DC

Why you should go…

The Charters of Freedom, the original Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, and Bill of Rights, rest in argon-filled cases beneath the soaring Rotunda dome, faded ink and all. Downstairs, the Records of Rights gallery displays a 1297 Magna Carta and rotating documents from the nation's vaults. Admission is free and walk-ins are welcome daily 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., though lines build midday; reserved timed tickets skip the wait for a small fee.

  • #declaration of independence
  • #constitution
  • #founding documents
  • #free
  • #history

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