Mary Pickford Theater

The Mary Pickford Theater is located on the third floor of the James Madison Memorial Building and features a screening room with 64 seats. The room is designed specifically for showing films and television programs from the Library of Congress collection.

The theater opened in 1983 and was named after Mary Pickford, a silent film actress who co-founded United Artists production company. Its creation was part of the Library of Congress effort to make its growing collection of motion pictures accessible to the public.

The theater shows classic films and documentaries from the Library of Congress collection to the public. These screenings help people discover important works from cinema history that might otherwise remain hidden in the archives.

Screenings require advance reservations through the Library of Congress website because seating is limited. Check the program schedule in advance and register early to secure a spot.

The theater serves as a motion picture and television reading room within the Library of Congress. Visitors can watch films while also accessing archive materials through a special visitor system that would otherwise be unavailable to the public.

Location: Washington, D.C.

Inception: 1983

Official opening: 1983

Address: 101 Independence Ave SE, Washington, DC 20540-4690

Website: https://loc.gov/rr/mopic/pickford

GPS coordinates: 38.88667,-77.00444

Latest update: December 10, 2025 20:10