Presidential Visits to the National Archives Building: 21st Century

The first President to visit the National Archives Building in the 21st Century was George W. Bush. On September 17, 2003, he attended the rededication ceremony for the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights. 

President Bush reflected on scientific progress since the documents were first enshrined in the National Archives Building: "In our day, preservation has become an even higher art, through the skill of conservators like those who accepted this very demanding assignment."

After treatment, the documents were re-encased and returned to the National Archives Building, where they were unveiled by members of the U.S. military as the President and First Lady looked on.

President Bush's second trip to the National Archives was on January 19, 2005, the day before his second inauguration. He and First Lady Laura Bush toured the exhibits with Archivist John Carlin. They examined George Washington’s Bible and first inaugural address.

Bush’s third visit was to honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 16, 2006. Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein showed the President the Emancipation Proclamation, which the National Archives placed on special exhibit to mark the holiday.

As President, Barack Obama came to the National Archives twice. On May 21, 2009, President Obama delivered a speech to an audience that included top members of his cabinet. The topic of the event: America’s national security.

President Obama strategically featured the founding documents in the background of his address (however, the original documents were swapped with facsimiles to protect them from the intense lighting that was set up for the event).

In his speech, the President assured the nation that his administration was resolved to “enlist the power of our most fundamental values” to develop a national security framework that protects the American people.

President Obama’s second visit was on December 15, 2015, Bill of Rights Day, when he delivered remarks in the Rotunda at a naturalization ceremony of 31 new U.S. citizens.

President Obama declared: "We are born of immigrants. That is who we are. Immigration is our origin story. And for more than two centuries, it’s remained at the core of our national character; it’s our oldest tradition. It’s who we are. It’s part of what makes us exceptional.”

More recent visits include President Donald Trump in 2020 for a conference to announce a new executive initiative and President Joe Biden in 2023 to honor the 75th anniversary of President Truman’s executive orders desegregating the U.S. Armed Forces and federal workforce.