Founded in 1800 as a research library for the US Congress, the largest library in the world is as spectacular inside as it is outside.
The Library of Congress in Washington DC first opened to the public on 1 November 1897 and over the centuries it has grown to occupy three main buildings on Capitol Hill.

Millions of books, audio recordings, films, photographs, newspapers, maps and manuscripts are used as part of the research arm of the US Congress, and the building is also home to the US Copyright Office. It's free to access (you must book a pre-timed ticket), but you can't take books off the premises. Guided tours are the best way to experience this behemoth of libraries.

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