News & Politics

You Can Watch Movies Outdoors This Summer at the Library of Congress

Upcoming features include “Shrek,” “Toy Story,” and a sing-along showing of “The Sound of Music.”

Visitors watch "Beauty and the Beast" during the summer movies on the lawn series, July 18, 2019. Photo by Shawn Miller.

Add another place to the list of where you can catch some outdoor films this summer: the Library of Congress announced its fourth annual Summer Movies on the Lawn film festival. There will be a series of five movies shown on Thursday evenings at sundown between July 8 and August 5.

While there won’t be any tickets required, capacity will be limited and each group of attendees will be assigned a socially distanced pod spaced six feet from other pods. Those who are vaccinated are not required to wear masks.

The films will be shown on the north lawn of the Thomas Jefferson Building, which is across the street from the Capitol and which runs the length of East Capitol Street between First and Second streets, Southeast.

The five films are from the library’s National Film Registry:

  • July 8: The Princess Bride
  • July 15: Shrek
  • July 22: Toy Story
  • July 29: The Sound of Music (audience sing-along)
  • Aug. 5: Jurassic Park