• Reservations are not required for individuals or groups visiting the National Archives through the General Public Entrance.
  • It can take up to an hour or more to enter the building without an advance ticket during heavy visitor traffic periods. These typically include the months of March, April, and May; Thanksgiving weekend; and the week between Christmas and New Year's Day.
  • The waiting area to enter the building is outdoors. We encourage you to come prepared for inclement weather.
  • We recommend that you allow at least 90 minutes to visit the exhibit galleries.
  • Strollers and bags: Strollers, bags (17 by 26 inches or smaller), and other personal items are permitted. All items are subject to security screening and must remain with visitors at all times. Baby backpacks and other types of wearable infant carriers are permitted. There are no lockers or coat checks available.
  • Nursing areas: Nursing is permitted; there are no designated nursing or pumping areas.
  • All restrooms are equipped with changing tables.
  • All visitors will go through security screening upon entry. Only one bag is allowed per person; bags cannot be larger than 17 by 26 inches (43 by 66 centimeters) in size.
  • Strollers, wheelchairs, mobility devices, bags (17 by 26 inches or smaller), and other personal items are permitted. All items are subject to security screening and must remain with visitors at all times.
  • Food, chewing gum, and beverages are prohibited in the theater and exhibition areas.
  • Federal law prohibits the possession of firearms or other dangerous weapons in federal facilities and federal court facilities by all persons not specifically authorized by 18 U.S.C. 930.

Yes! Non-flash photography, filming, and videotaping for personal use is encouraged in all public areas of the National Archives unless otherwise posted. Flash, other supplemental lighting, selfie sticks, monopods, or similar equipment are not permitted. Learn more about our Photography Policy for news and commercial use.

Artificial Intelligence (AI): To personalize your visit, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) uses AI technology in the exhibit kiosks in The American Story and the Discovery Center to connect historical records and artifacts from our holdings to the interests you select. On the interactive screens in these exhibits, you will see digital records and digital copies of paper records and artifacts held by NARA. You may choose to save digital copies of these records and view them again later online in the “Your Archives” website.

This AI technology uses historical documents and data from the National Archives Catalog to identify topics, people, places, and events, generate tags, and recommend historical records to you based on your interaction and responses to an AI chatbot. 

All source data is exclusively drawn from the National Archives Catalog. Some historical records may contain factual errors or outdated language, which the AI technology may repeat. It is the user’s responsibility to review the source documents linked in the search results and other sources to validate any information the AI technology provides.

Your Data: Visitor responses to the chatbot will be used to recommend relevant content and monitor the performance of the technology. This data will be maintained for 30 days before being deleted. Your personal information is not shared with NARA’s AI tool provider. This AI technology stores deidentified information about visitor searches. It will not collect information about individual users or learn from an individual user’s search history or selections.

Please do not use this application to send us sensitive information, such as your Social Security number or credit card number.

Google Analytics: NARA uses Google Analytics in the online kiosks at The American Story and Discovery Center to collect application usage data to better understand how visitors engage with the exhibit. In addition, the "Your Archives" feature, which allows visitors to create customized profiles, uses Google Analytics, which is considered a Tier 2 web measurement and customization technology under OMB M-10-22. NARA uses Google Analytics in accordance with NARA's Archives.gov Privacy Policy. Google Analytics will not collect personally identifiable information through visitor use of the kiosks. NARA will only receive aggregated usage information, rather than individual user information.

Visitors may choose to opt out of the "Your Archives" feature. To opt out, visitors should not continue to scan their ticket barcodes at the online kiosks to use the "Your Archives" feature, but visitors can use the other interactive features in the kiosk displays. Visitors who opt out will still have full access to records in the exhibit and the full NARA Catalog at https://catalog.archives.gov/ using their own personal devices. Please note that NARA also uses Google Analytics on its www.archives.gov website, which allows user opt-out.

If you have a question while visiting, look for our staff in red vests throughout the exhibits or at the Visitor Orientation Plaza. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff are here to assist you!

If you have questions prior to your visit, please email visitorservices@nara.gov. We will respond to your email as quickly as possible.

Visitor's Guide with Map and Information in other languages:

English
Español
Français
Deutsch
中文
日本語

Suggested Itineraries

Concerned about your time? Consult the itineraries below to plan your visit and experience the most with your time at the National Archives. Don't forget to stop at the National Archives Store located next to the Records of Rights exhibit as you exit!

30 Minutes

Magna Carta and Charters of Freedom

  • Start your visit in the David M. Rubenstein Gallery on the ground level where you will see an original of the 1297 Magna Carta, located at the entrance to the Records of Rights exhibit.
  • When you've finished viewing the Magna Carta, go up to the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom, home of America’s most treasured documents–the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.

60 Minutes

Records of Rights, Magna Carta, Charters of Freedom, and Featured Document

  • Start your visit in the David M. Rubenstein Gallery on the ground level where the Records of Rights exhibit highlights how generations of Americans have sought to fulfill the promises of the founding documents. Don't miss an original of the 1297 Magna Carta.
  • When you've finished viewing Records of Rights, go up to the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom, home of America’s most treasured documents–the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
  • As you exit the Rotunda, make a quick stop to see the Featured Document exhibit in the East Rotunda Gallery.

90 Minutes

Records of Rights, Magna Carta, Special Exhibit, Charters of Freedom, and Featured Document

  • Start your visit in the David M. Rubenstein Gallery on the ground level where the Records of Rights exhibit highlights how generations of Americans have sought to fulfill the promises of the founding documents. Don't miss an original of the 1297 Magna Carta.
  • Next visit the Lawrence F. O’Brien Gallery to see the current special exhibit.
  • When you’ve finished viewing the special exhibit, go up to the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom, home of America’s most treasured documents–the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
  • As you exit the Rotunda, make a quick stop to see the Featured Document exhibit in the East Rotunda Gallery.

For additional questions, please contact Visitor Services at visitorservices@nara.gov.