Back to the Future on the Lawn

Back to the Future at the Library of Congress

A few nights each summer, the Library of Congress turns the front lawn of the Thomas Jefferson Building into an open-air movie theater, and this Thursday the pick is Back to the Future. Every film in the series comes from the National Film Registry, the Library's official list of movies worth preserving forever, which is a fancy way of saying your kids get to discover the DeLorean on a big screen with the most beautiful building in Washington glowing behind it. Music starts at 7pm, an encore recording of jazz bassist Christian McBride's spring performance at the Library, and the movie rolls at 8pm, running to about 10.

It's free and there are no tickets, but space on the lawn is limited and they close it off when it fills, so getting there on the early side matters. Blankets, low chairs, and picnic snacks are all welcome. The movie is rated PG and lands well with kids about 7 and up; the plot moves fast, the jokes still work, and there's a decent chance you'll be explaining what a cassette tape is on the ride home. The 10pm end time is the real consideration for younger kids on a school-year schedule, but in late July, nobody's checking bedtimes too closely.

Parent Tips 💡

• ✓Arrive by 7pm. The lawn genuinely fills, and staff stop letting people in once it does. The music hour makes the wait painless.
• ✓Pack a picnic dinner. Eating on the lawn during the pre-show music is the move. There's no food for sale on site.
• ✓Bring layers and bug spray. Capitol Hill grass at dusk in July comes with mosquitoes included.
• ✓Make it a Hill evening. Pennsylvania Ave SE and Eastern Market are a short walk for pre-movie dinner or post-movie ice cream.
• ✓Check the Library's socials if storms threaten. Screenings can be cancelled for weather, and they announce it there first.