A Capital Week for Washington, D.C.
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It’s a big week in the nation’s capital, with the dedication of the long-delayed Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial and the reopening of the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress after a decade of restoration.
The FDR ceremony, open to the public, is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Friday at the site, 7 1/2 acres on the Tidal Basin of the Washington Mall. The memorial will be open 24 hours a day; entrance is free.
In four outdoor galleries with bronze sculpture and water designs, the memorial narrates Roosevelt’s presidential years, 1933-45.
The Thomas Jefferson Building, in Italian Renaissance style, is one of three buildings of the Library of Congress. Opened in 1897, it contains the imposing Great Hall. The renovation has restored mosaics and other decoration and added a visitors center, a theater and several galleries.
A permanent exhibit to celebrate the renovation opens Thursday at the Jefferson. Called “American Treasures of the Library of Congress,” it includes the first book printed in America, the earliest known baseball card and about 200 other items. In addition, Jefferson’s handwritten rough draft of the Declaration of Independence will be displayed through July 4 only. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; admission is free. Information: (202) 707-9191.
