The Two Georges: Parallel Lives in an Age of Revolution in 2025.
Visit the Library of Congress and experience the world’s largest collection of culture and creativity like never before. The Thomas Jefferson Building features exhibitions and installations that bring the Library’s unparalleled collections to life. Whether you are in Washington, D.C., or at home, let the Library of Congress take you on a unique and personal journey through history and culture. Millions of items are waiting for you—explore, discover, and be inspired.
To visit, reserve your free timed-entry tickets (external link).
The Declaration's Promise: A Revolutionary Idea
David M. Rubenstein Treasures Gallery, Second Floor, Thomas Jefferson Building
Opening July 3, 2026
The Declaration’s principles became the shared vision of a new democratic way of government. Its ideals of equality, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness place human dignity and the rights of the individual at the forefront of our national consciousness. In its language, Americans have heard a call to rally for independence and self-government, to right longstanding injustices, and more. This exhibition shares collections from the Library of Congress that demonstrate Americans’ engagement with the Declaration. The scope of that engagement reflects the richness and complexity of the American experience.
The Two Georges: Parallel Lives in an Age of Revolution
Southwest Exhibition Gallery, Second Floor, Thomas Jefferson Building
March 28, 2025–July 4, 2026
Get to know George Washington and King George III in their own words in this exhibition, which brings together their papers from the Library of Congress and the Royal Archives for the first time. Explore their parallel lives, from their early years through the revolution that brought them into conflict to their overlapping years as president and king.
Thomas Jefferson's Library
Southwest Pavilion, Second Floor, Thomas Jefferson Building
April 11, 2008–Ongoing
Take a trip through a re-created version of Jefferson’s library, which assembles 6,487 volumes that founded the Library of Congress, and learn how one of America’s greatest thinkers was inspired through the world of books.
Here to Stay: The Legacy of George and Ira Gershwin
Gershwin Gallery, Ground Floor, Thomas Jefferson Building
December 11, 2008–Ongoing
The exhibition celebrates the lives and work of George and Ira Gershwin through music manuscripts and other documents from the Gershwin collection that chronicle their lives and careers. The display includes George’s piano and desk, Ira’s typing table and typewriter, and self-portraits in oil by each brother.
Herblock Gallery
Online Only
Celebrates the work of editorial cartoonist Herbert L. Block—better known as "Herblock"—with items drawn from the Library's extensive Herbert L. Block Collection.
