On September 18, 2003, the National Archives re-opened its doors to the public after extensive renovations had closed the building for several years. Visitors now have access once again to the “Charters of Freedom”, which include the original Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Now, for the first time, visitors are able to simultaneously view all four pages of the Constitution. Additional wings of the Archives building include the 290-seat William G. McGowan Theater, an “inside the stack” exhibit called the Public Vaults, the Boeing Learning Center, and a Special Exhibition Gallery
Interesting Facts:
- The two bronze doors at the main entrance to the Archives are believed to be the largest in the world.
- The Archives’ collection includes three billion pages of text, six million still photos, 91 million feet of motion picture film, 70,000 sound recordings, and nine million aerial photographs.
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