National Archives Museum
The best National Archives Museum tickets and tours
The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights in the Rotunda, the Public Vaults and guided tours with reserved entry. Here is how to visit the National Archives, with honest advice on the line to get in, paying when entry is free, and how long a visit takes.
See our 4 picks
You don't need a ticket for the National Archives Museum: entry is free. A $1 timed ticket only saves you the wait.
The museum is open daily, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
For a guide at the Declaration, our top pick is a 1-hour tour for up to 6 people, from €53.
Our 4 picks for National Archives tours
Entry is free, so these tours add a guide and a group entry, not access you cannot get yourself. All four have free cancellation. Tours with few reviews come last, marked.
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from €53 per person Our top pick 1 hour 4.8 (62) reviews on GetYourGuide
Small-group National Archives tour
A 1-hour tour for up to 6 people with a historian guide. You see the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Entry is included.
Best for Short on time
Check availability: Small-group National Archives tour on GetYourGuide -
from €115 per person 8 hours 4.5 (47) reviews on GetYourGuide
Full-day bus tour with Capitol and Archives entry
An 8-hour guided day by glass-top bus, with entry to the Capitol and the National Archives. A 1-hour boat cruise is added from April 1 to September 30. Both entries are free on their own.
Best for A whole day planned for you
Check availability: Full-day bus tour with Capitol and Archives entry on GetYourGuide - from €53 per person
Beyond the Rotunda
Archives and Public Vaults
1 h 30 min 5.0 (4) reviews on GetYourGuide
National Archives guided tour with the Public Vaults
Few reviews so far (4). A 1.5-hour tour of the Rotunda, the Public Vaults and the Records of Rights gallery. You also see the Magna Carta and the "American Story" exhibit.
Best for More depth
Check availability: National Archives guided tour with the Public Vaults on GetYourGuide - from €67 per person
Two museums, 3 hours
Archives and American History
3 hours 4.7 (4) reviews on GetYourGuide
National Archives and American History Museum
Few reviews so far (4). A 3-hour small-group tour of two museums with a historian. You see the Charters of Freedom, then the Star-Spangled Banner flag.
Best for History fans
Check availability: National Archives and American History Museum on GetYourGuide
The 4 Archives tours side by side
| Tour | From | Duration | Who it suits | Why we picked it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small-group National Archives tour | €53 per person | 1 hour | Short on time | The best-rated Archives tour, in a group of 6 at most. |
| Full-day bus tour with Capitol and Archives entry | €115 per person | 8 hours | A whole day planned for you | The Capitol and the Archives in one booked day. |
| National Archives guided tour with the Public Vaults | €53 per person | 1 h 30 min | More depth | The only pick that covers the galleries beyond the Rotunda. |
| National Archives and American History Museum | €67 per person | 3 hours | History fans | Two museums with one guide. |
Small-group National Archives tour
€53 per person1 hour 4.8 (62)
Details
- Who it suits
- Short on time
- Why we picked it
- The best-rated Archives tour, in a group of 6 at most.
Full-day bus tour with Capitol and Archives entry
€115 per person8 hours 4.5 (47)
Details
- Who it suits
- A whole day planned for you
- Why we picked it
- The Capitol and the Archives in one booked day.
National Archives guided tour with the Public Vaults
€53 per person1 h 30 min 5.0 (4)
Details
- Who it suits
- More depth
- Why we picked it
- The only pick that covers the galleries beyond the Rotunda.
National Archives and American History Museum
€67 per person3 hours 4.7 (4)
Details
- Who it suits
- History fans
- Why we picked it
- Two museums with one guide.
- Group size: the small-group tour takes up to 6 people.
- None of the 4 includes hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point.
- All 4 offer free cancellation.
- Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide on 25 October 2026. Prices are "from" prices in euros and can change; the booking page shows the live price.
Visiting the National Archives Museum
The National Archives Museum is free and open every day, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. It closes on Thanksgiving Day and December 25, says the museum's page.
The building was finished in 1935. John Russell Pope was the architect.
Seeing the Declaration of Independence at the National Archives
The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights are in the Rotunda. Together they are called the Charters of Freedom.
The three guided Archives tours all stop in the Rotunda.
National Archives tickets: free entry or a $1 timed ticket
You do not need a ticket. Entry is free, but the museum asks you to reserve.
A $1 timed ticket can be booked online. Slots start every 15 minutes, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Without a timed ticket, getting in can take an hour or more in busy times, the museum says.
| Walk up | $1 timed ticket | Guided tour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | $1 | From €53 |
| Wait | An hour or more when busy | Set time slot | Group entry |
| Guide | No | No | Yes |
National Archives museum tours compared
A guided tour is worth it if you want the story behind the documents. You can see them all free on your own.
For one hour and a small group, pick the small-group tour. For more of the galleries, take the 1.5-hour Public Vaults tour.
History fans can add a second museum on the 3-hour tour. For a whole day, the bus tour adds the Capitol.
Pair it with the Capitol and the Smithsonians
Pair it with a tour of the Capitol on the same day. The full-day bus tour above does both.
The 3-hour tour adds the American History Museum, one of the free Smithsonian museums.
Or walk on to the National Mall monuments after your visit.
Before you visit the National Archives
Reserve the $1 timed ticket
It is the cheapest way to avoid a long wait. Slots run every 15 minutes.
Go early in busy times
Without a timed ticket, getting in can take an hour or more.
Know what you pay for
Entry is free. A tour adds a guide and a group entry, not extra access.
Check the cruise dates
The full-day bus tour adds its boat cruise only from April 1 to September 30.
Find the start
The small-group tour meets at 400 7th St NW. The Public Vaults tour meets at 701 Constitution Ave NW.
Cancel if plans change
All four tours have free cancellation. Check the exact deadline on each listing.
Questions about the National Archives
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More National Archives tours, live
More options with live prices and availability, straight from GetYourGuide.
See every tour with today's prices and open dates on GetYourGuide.
Browse all on GetYourGuideMore sights near the Archives
Sources (2), facts checked on 25 October 2026
Written by the Things to Do in Washington DC editorial team.