An impressive mosaic of the goddess Minerva greets visitors who rise to the top of the stairs in the Library's Great Hall on their way to the Main Reading Room visitors' gallery. The mosaic was created for the 1897 Thomas Jefferson Building by Elihu Vedder. On April 24, 1800, the Library of Congress was founded. It was housed in the U.S. Capitol for 97 years, until the Jefferson Building opened. You can wish the Library a happy birthday in spirit by taking a virtual tour of the Thomas Jefferson Building. You will see the mosaic of Minerva on second floor (click on the image for a close-up view of the mosaic), as well as the magnificent Main Reading Room and other spaces, some of which are rarely seen by the public.