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Campus Map, Floor Plans

The Library of Congress occupies three buildings on Capitol Hill. The buildings are remarkable public spaces and public works of art. Each is named after a President of the United States who has a strong connection with the creation of Congress’s library.

View Campus Map

Thomas Jefferson Building

1st Street SE, between Independence Avenue and East Capitol Street

Jefferson Floor Plans

• Ground Floor (group, researcher, ADA entrances and exit)
• First Floor (main entrance & information desks)
• Second Floor

Explore the Jefferson Building

• Art & Architecture Tour

John Adams Building

2nd Street SE, between Independence Avenue and East Capitol Street

President John Adams signed into law on April 24, 1800, an act moving the seat of
government to Washington; it contained a provision appropriating $5,000 "for the purchase of such books as may be necessary for the use of Congress..." The 1939 John Adams Building honors the second U.S. President.

The simple structure of the building was intended as a functional and efficient bookstack
"encircled with work spaces." Today, the building's decorative style, which contains elements of "Art Deco" inspired by the Exposition des Arts Décoratifs held in Paris in 1925, is widely admired.

Adams Floor Plans

• Ground Floor (entrances)
• First Floor
• Second Floor
• Fifth Floor (reading room)

James Madison Building

Independence Avenue SE, between 1st and 2nd Streets

The Library's newest building is a memorial to President James Madison, whose influence on the establishment of the Library of Congress predates the U.S. Constitution. In 1783, as a member of the Continental Congress, Madison became the first sponsor of the idea of a library for Congress by proposing a list of books on the subjects of law, history, politics, and geography that he considered "indispensable" for legislators. This effort preceded by some 17 years the establishment of the Library of Congress. The James Madison Memorial Building was dedicated on April 24, 1980.

Madison Floor Plans

• Basement
• Ground Floor (entrance & coffee shop)
• First Floor (main entrance)
• Second Floor
• Third Floor
• Fourth Floor
• Sixth Floor (main cafeteria)

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Last Updated: 04/10/2008