The National Archives Building
With its massive Corinthian columns, allegorical sculptures, and the largest sliding bronze doors in the world, the National Archives Building is the most ornate structure in Washington, DC’s Federal Triangle. Sitting imposingly on Pennsylvania Avenue, halfway between the White House and the U.S. Capitol, it’s the work of master architect John Russell Pope. Completed in 1935, the building holds the records of our country’s history and symbolizes our faith in the permanency of the nation. In December 2023, the National Archives Building was designated a National Historic Landmark. (View the final nomination form.)
Selected Images of the National Archives Building
The National Archives Building in Washington, DC, has been called a “temple to American history.” This view shows the Pennsylania Avenue entrance. (National Archives photo by Richard Schneider)
A series of photographs document the construction of the National Archives Building. This view of the steel framework was taken on September 5, 1933. View in National Archives Catalog
At this stage of construction, the leaves of the Corinthian column capitals on the National Archives Building had not been completely carved. View in National Archives Catalog
This 1935 photograph shows the completed Corinthian column capitals of the National Archives Building. View in the National Archives Catalog
The completed National Archives Building at the corner of Constitution Avenue and Seventh Street, NW, December 25, 1935. View in National Archives Catalog
The Central Search Room as it appeared on June 15, 1936. View in National Archives Catalog
A view of the Constitution Avenue entrance of the National Archives Building with its bronze doors open, June 13, 1936. View in National Archives Catalog
The Rotunda of the National Archives Building under construction, November 3, 1934. View in National Archives Catalog
Tourists view the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights on display in the Rotunda, 1974. View in the National Archives Catalog
Visitors explore the Rotunda of the National Archives Building after the 2001–2003 renovation. (National Archives photo by Jeff Reed) View on Flickr
The National Archives hosts an annual Independence Day celebration with musical performances, a dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence, and history-related family activities. View on Flickr
The seal of the National Archives is set in bronze on the floor of the Visitor Orientation Plaza outside the entrance to the David M. Rubenstein Gallery. View on Flickr
The William G. McGowan Theater hosts many public lectures, film screenings, and other public programs. View on Flickr
Two statues stand at the Pennsylvania Avenue entrance to the National Archives Building. A man symbolizes “Past,” and "Study the Past" is inscribed on the base. A woman symbolizes “Future,” and "What Is Past Is Prologue" is inscribed on the base. View "Past" on Flickr / View "Future" on Flickr
See more photos of the historical National Archives Building in this Flickr album.
Origins, Design, and Construction
- A History of the National Archives Building
- The National Archives Building’s Landmark Plaque
- The Act That Gave Us the National Archives
- An American Symbol Forged from the Progressive Era: The National Archives Building
- Breaking Ground: From Market Stalls to the National Archives Building
- Temple of Our History
- Happy Birthday National Archives
- A Temple to Clio: The National Archives Building
- Making Room for Records
- A Warning from the Surgeon General About Air Conditioning
- To Build an Archives Prologue (Summer 1995)
- A Top-to-Bottom Renovation for the National Archives Building Prologue (Fall 2003)
- National Archives Building: A Temple to Our History (online exhibit)
Public Spaces
- The Story of the Faulkner Murals
- The Rubenstein Gallery: Five Years of Celebrating Citizens’ Rights
- Inside the National Archives Building
- Creating the Public Vaults of the National Archives
- Beyond the Rotunda: Public Spaces in the National Archives Building
Architectural Features
- Symbols of Significance: The Pediments of the National Archives Building
- The National Archives’ Larger-Than-Life Statues
- Doors of Monumental Proportions
- These Walls Can Talk, Prologue (Fall 2009)
- Guastavino Vaulting
- A Temple to American History
Through the Years
- #Archives80s: DC in the '80s
- From 1600 to 700 Pennsylvania Avenue: Presidential Visits to the National Archives
- National Archives War Memorial Plaque
- Illuminating the National Archives
- Pneumatic Tube Transport
- The Other FDR Memorial
- Lights, Camera, Archives
- The First Records Prologue (Summer 2017)
- The History of Our Neighborhood (online exhibit)
Videos
Your National Archives (1955)
A promotional motion picture highlighting the breadth of the National Archives' holdings and activities.
Transfer of Documents to the National Archives (1952)
Footage shows the transfer of the Constitution of the United States and the Declaration of Independence from and remarks by President Harry Truman and Chief Justice Fred Vinson.
The Washington Parade: The Archives (1940)
Columbia Pictures made a short documentary detailing the activities of the National Archives a few years after the building on Pennsylvania Avenue was completed and opened.
If These Walls Could Talk (September 24, 2009)
A presentation on the history of the National Archives and its flagship building in Washington, DC.