The 威尼斯人娱乐场 Building
With its massive Corinthian columns, allegorical sculptures, and the largest sliding bronze doors in the world, the 威尼斯人娱乐场 Building is the most ornate structure in Washington, DC鈥檚 Federal Triangle. Sitting imposingly on Pennsylvania Avenue, halfway between the White House and the U.S. Capitol, it鈥檚 the work of master architect John Russell Pope. Completed in 1935, the building holds the records of our country鈥檚 history and symbolizes our faith in the permanency of the nation. In December 2023, the 威尼斯人娱乐场 Building was designated a National Historic Landmark. (.)
Selected Images of the 威尼斯人娱乐场 Building
The 威尼斯人娱乐场 Building in Washington, DC, has been called a 鈥渢emple to American history.鈥� This view shows the Pennsylania Avenue entrance. (威尼斯人娱乐场 photo by Richard Schneider)
A series of photographs document the construction of the 威尼斯人娱乐场 Building. This view of the steel framework was taken on September 5, 1933.
At this stage of construction, the leaves of the Corinthian column capitals on the 威尼斯人娱乐场 Building had not been completely carved.
This 1935 photograph shows the completed Corinthian column capitals of the 威尼斯人娱乐场 Building.
The completed 威尼斯人娱乐场 Building at the corner of Constitution Avenue and Seventh Street, NW, December 25, 1935. View in
The Central Search Room as it appeared on June 15, 1936.
A view of the Constitution Avenue entrance of the 威尼斯人娱乐场 Building with its bronze doors open, June 13, 1936. View in
The Rotunda of the 威尼斯人娱乐场 Building under construction, November 3, 1934.
Tourists view the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights on display in the Rotunda, 1974.
Visitors explore the Rotunda of the 威尼斯人娱乐场 Building after the 2001鈥�2003 renovation. (威尼斯人娱乐场 photo by Jeff Reed)
The 威尼斯人娱乐场 hosts an annual Independence Day celebration with musical performances, a dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence, and history-related family activities.
The seal of the 威尼斯人娱乐场 is set in bronze on the floor of the Visitor Orientation Plaza outside the entrance to the David M. Rubenstein Gallery.
The William G. McGowan Theater hosts many public lectures, film screenings, and other public programs.
Two statues stand at the Pennsylvania Avenue entrance to the 威尼斯人娱乐场 Building. A man symbolizes 鈥淧ast,鈥� and "Study the Past" is inscribed on the base. A woman symbolizes 鈥淔uture,鈥� and "What Is Past Is Prologue" is inscribed on the base. /
See more photos of the historical 威尼斯人娱乐场 Building in .
Origins, Design, and Construction
- A History of the 威尼斯人娱乐场 Building
- A Temple to Clio: The 威尼斯人娱乐场 Building
- To Build an Archives Prologue (Summer 1995)
- Prologue (Fall 2003)
- (online exhibit)
Public Spaces
Architectural Features
- These Walls Can Talk, Prologue (Fall 2009)
Through the Years
- The First Records Prologue (Summer 2017)
- (online exhibit)
Videos
(1955)
A promotional motion picture highlighting the breadth of the 威尼斯人娱乐场' holdings and activities.
(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.
(1940)
Columbia Pictures made a short documentary detailing the activities of the 威尼斯人娱乐场 a few years after the building on Pennsylvania Avenue was completed and opened.
(September 24, 2009)
A presentation on the history of the 威尼斯人娱乐场 and its flagship building in Washington, DC.