Visit Us in Person
Stop by the Library on December 26th, 27th, and 28th to enjoy a special Winter Holiday Family Day. We look forward to welcoming you to this special opportunity to enjoy creative activities while learning more about America’s national library.
The program runs from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day and is designed for kids and their families, but all ages are welcome. The event is free of charge; however, you will need to obtain free building passes. Registering in advance is the best way to guarantee entry at a time of your choosing, although a limited number of walk-up tickets are available daily. Request ADA accommodations five business days in advance at 202-707-6464 or by emailing [email protected].
This Family Day, we will be enjoying the holiday season and celebrating the wintery weather. During this month’s program, families can use snowy Library images to decorate cards or bookmarks to take home and enjoy. Before you head out, make sure to write a wish for the New Year and add it to our community board to share what you’re hoping for in 2025.
Join in from Home
If you can’t visit the Library in person, you can still experience the seasonal fun. Keep reading for additional resources to explore winter-related Library of Congress collections from home.
Winter is one of the Library’s favorite themes, and there are many ways of exploring the collections. Check out the blog posts listed below.
Interested in winter sports? Learn all about them here:
- King of Winter Sports, He Shoots, He Scores! A Love of Winter Games
- Women of Winter Sports: The First U.S. Olympic Ski Medalists
How about art that shows off the spirit of the season? You might be interested in reading:
- Winter Weather in Japanese Woodblock Prints
- Winter Poster Masterpieces
- “King Winter” – A Book to Bring in the Season
For more hands-on opportunities, take your cues from these posts:
- Historic Holiday Desserts from Around the World
- Everyday Winter Mysteries – Fun Science Facts from the Library
- Make your own Holiday Cards based on the collections
If music is more your style, the American Folklife Center collections include musical recordings. The podcast Folklife today includes two seasonal episodes: Winter Songs Part 1 and Winter Songs Part 2. A quick collections search also reveals hundreds of pieces of sheet music with a wintery theme to explore. For an in-depth look at one such piece of music, read the blog Sheet Music of the Week: Winter Polka Edition.
Images in the Library’s collections include many winter-themed prints and photographs. Exploring the Winter, Families or Holidays Free to Use and Reuse sets are a good place to start.
We’d love to see you in person on December 26th, 27th, or 28th. Whether you can join us or not, we hope this small sample of wintery resources inspire you to explore the collections, use Library resources at home, and share your discoveries with others.