Repository where the most important historical documents of the United States are held, such as the original Declaration of Independence, Bill of …
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4.5/5 · 3,607 reviews
5-star
73%
4-star
13%
3-star
7%
2-star
3%
1-star
4%
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Mar 17, 2025
We got there early, before the building opened. A line was already forming about 20 minutes in advance, but it's well worth it to get inside immediately upon opening. When we finally got inside (we…Full review by 907blaked
Mar 1, 2025
Free and easy. No line at the time we went. Security and museum staff were excellent early Wednesday afternoon 2/26/25. It was a teeny bit darker than I thought it would be. Take selfies pointing aw…Full review by eja117
Feb 19, 2025
Very low key. American citizens should view their founding documents. Glad we went. Highly recommended. Children will be very bored. Leave them home.Full review by Jim B
My questions are Are the staff (security guard /special police) of this place friendly to foreigners? Are foreigners not welcomed at this place? The reason I am asking these questions is because of the reviews here. I am planning a family trip to the National Archives Museum. We are from a foreign country where English is our second language. My family members and I read the reviews here. It seems foreigners were not treated well here. In one of the reviews, a foreigner did not violate any regulation, but one of the security guards threatened to toss this foreigner out of the museum. Another reviewer, we think he is a foreigner, or looks like a foreigner. The moment he entered the gift shop, a security guard yelled at him, "Do not touch anything if you not going to buy. If you not going to buy anything, you shouldn't be in here!" But he just got into the gift shop and did nothing, why all the yelling? In other reviews, similar to the previous two, security guard yelled at foreigners a lot. It seems that foreigners are presumed guilty of something. Should we skip this place? Or, if we decided to visit this place, what should we prepare? What should we do to please security guards here?
A:
When we visited there were people there from all over the world and we saw no evidence whatsoever of anyone being treated unfairly or badly. The guards have a job today, what they …
When we visited there were people there from all over the world and we saw no evidence whatsoever of anyone being treated unfairly or badly. The guards have a job today, what they are protecting is priceless and irreplaceable so you need to follow their instructions. It is a great place to visit.
What makes the Special Police so special here? Why many reviewers experienced rudeness and condescension of the special police officers at security checkpoint, rotunda, exhibitions, and the gift shop since 2009? Are most of the special police officers trained to treat museum visitors with rudeness and condescension? One of the reviewers mentioned military honor guards. Can you still see them at this facility?
A:
I travel a great deal and it never ceases to amaze me how difficult tourists/visitors can be. My guess is that their demeanor is really needed to make sure that rules are followed. SO …
I travel a great deal and it never ceases to amaze me how difficult tourists/visitors can be. My guess is that their demeanor is really needed to make sure that rules are followed. SO many people want to create their own rules. I have found that if you are pleasant, you will be treated fairly.