When you see these red, white, and blue banners going up at the National Archives building in downtown Washington, D.C., it is time to mark your calendars and get ready to celebrate the Fourth of July! For over 50 years, the Archives has celebrated the founding of the United States with a patriotic celebration that includes a ceremonial reading of the Declaration of Independence. This one-of-a-kind event takes place on the portico steps, with room for everyone to join in the fun.

In 1930, New York Architect John Russell Pope was selected to design the National Archives Building. Pope's neoclassical design included both practical and symbolic aspects of housing the nation's records. He proposed a monumental structure with highly decorative architectural features, giant Corinthian columns, 40-foot bronze doors, and inscriptions representing the building's historical importance. John Russell Pope also designed the National Gallery and the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C.