Students from Trinity Washington University learn about the Library’s past locations during a tour of the National Library of Medicine.

Although some federal government agencies are closed in the absence of either an FY2019 appropriation or a continuing resolution, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) is open and tours are available Monday through Friday at 1:30 pm and upon request.

Thousands of visitors from every state and all over the world tour NLM every year. They include health professionals, educators, families, historians, journalists, and those who are just curious about the largest medical library in the world.

Tours include learning about the Visible Human Project through artwork and a hologram; hearing about the construction of the Library and why we have three floors of underground stacks (spoiler alert: It involves the Cold War.); and seeing some of the world’s oldest and rarest medical books in the History of Medicine Division.

Tours are available Monday through Friday (except federal holidays) at 1:30 pm and walk-ins are welcome. The basic tour lasts about an hour. If you can’t attend a tour at 1:30, you can fill out a tour request form and the chief of NLM Visitor Operations Tara Mowery will get back to you to arrange a time that works for you. Also please note that there is no charge for tours.

More information
We Clue You In about NLM Tours…and Invite You to Join Us! | NLM in Focus