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What a beautiful building ever bibliophile should check out. It's the one of the largest libraries in the US, but even for a non-local, it's worth checking out the space, even if it's just to get out of the weather for a bit. There are tours on occasion (not enough) but there's also an audio tour you can do from your phone, or you can just wander around. There's also a half that's more modern, but I was there for the historic part, which was amazing. Make sure to check out the murals by John Singer Sargent. Don't miss out on their temporary exhibits. The one on the Declaration of Independence had some original texts on display, which was great to see. There's also a couple of cafes on site. Plenty of space to read or research. The inner courtyard feels like something out of Italy if you just want to enjoy the outdoors while in the shade. It's worth the visit just to wander around inside and look at the art and architecture.
The most stunning public library!! Fun to explore and walk around, both the interior and the courtyard area are beautiful. It's also an easy place to work or study - generally quiet with people popping into the hall to take quick photos
The Boston Public Library is right by Copley Square and very close to Newbury Street, making it a great morning stop before the shops open The historic McKim Building is gorgeous, especially Bates Hall with its massive arched ceiling, huge windows, and iconic green reading lamps. The architecture, murals, staircases, and courtyards make it feel more like a historic European building than a regular public library Founded in 1848, the Boston Public Library was the first large free municipal library in the United States. The historic building is also a great spot for photography Free admission, beautiful architecture, and usually much more relaxed than Boston's major tourist attractions. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area
One of the best public libraries in the USA! It is stunning and of course you can find placards of the history throughout. The library has a wonderful courtyard and fountain with plenty of seating. There's also a cafe/bar/restaurant and tea room which was really pretty. What I loved most is they had a sale on the bottom floor. I learned this sale happens once a month! Select books, films, magazines and cds ranging from .25 cents to $2!! What a great way to re-engage people into reading, discovering new things and keeping a curious mind! I was able to get a lot of great history books and jazz cds all less than $4
Beautiful architecture, if you are here just for sightseeing, I would say it takes about 30-45 minutes to check out all it has to offer.
WOW, WOW, WOW !!! Grandaughter wanted to visit and glad she did. We rode train in from Brookline to avoid parking (stop right at library). We entered right at opening, and the initial gasp of enjoyment my Granddaughter let out was worth the visit. We explored for hours, enjoyed lunch in the café (attached) and reasonable priced. Just a very very beautiful spot to lose yourself for a few hours. So many photo opportunities.
Such a magnificent building! The old part of it throws you straight to the Harry Potter books vibe. Amazing architecture, frescas and beautiful courtyard making you want to stay there for hours. Definitely one of the top attractions in the central part of Boston you can't miss when you visit the city.
To think we almost left Boston without stopping into the library. It would have been our loss. This library was so impressive. We entered the new section by the cafe. The staff were very friendly and helpful. There were people at almost every table on three different floors. The children's section was very cute. The library appeared to have an extensive collection for both adults and children. We walked into the older section of the library and we were amazed. It was definitely more like a museum. The murals on the wall and ceiling were stunning. The outside fountain area was beautiful. There were people taking photos for special events and many people like us just in awe of our surroundings. What a great find!
I wish I did more research prior to visiting Boston. We were in the area and wanted to check it out, on Fridays they close at 5pm and we got there at 445pm and they were already telling people the library was closed. So we entered and went to the left to use the restroom, we took the elevators up which entered into the large reading room area where people can work and study. Reminded me of a museum, it was beautiful inside but we didn't get a chance to really explore the whole library. If you visit, allow yourself time to look and explore.
The Boston Public Library is an institution. It is famous for being the first large, free municipal library in the United States, established in 1848. Known as a "palace for the people," it is renowned for its stunning Renaissance Revival architecture, the iconic Bates Hall reading room, and an extensive collection of over 23 million items. My niece loved taking pictures of the outside building as well as the inside areas near the fountain. On certain days and times, you can watch live broadcasts from GBH inside the cafe.
This is an absolutely gorgeous library, the older section houses fantastic art and feels more like a museum than a library. It also has the Courtyard Tea Room (reservations available on Open Table) for traditional afternoon tea on the main level. I was able to peek inside but it was being prepared for a private event. Adjacent to the tea room is the Map Room Lounge for small bites and cocktails. Very cool. Bates Hall was amazing to walk into, but it was full of people studying, so I limited my visit to one end of the hall. In between the older part and the newer part of the library (where most of the books are, and a coffee shop/gift shop as well) is the Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center. They currently have a super interesting display called "Declarations: Printing a New Nation" with original copies of the Declaration of Independence in various formats. It was also really interesting to see the display of the maps of Boston over time and how the city changed. A must see if you are in Boston!
The Boston Public Library holds more than 23 million items, estimated to be among the three largest collections in the country, including books, maps, manuscripts, letters, drawings, and other original works dating back as early as the 10th century. Notable items include first edition folios by William Shakespeare, original music scores from Mozart to Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf;" and the personal library of President John Adams. The Library continues to make its impressive special collections accessible to the public through a robust digitization program, all available online at Digital Commonwealth. At the Boston Public Library, books are just the beginning! The outdoor garden area , private tea room restaurant and even a study hall ! Another check off my bucket list for sure ,a dream wedding venue too ( just saying )
Stayed nearby and decided to go explore! This review is not on any of the actually library services but on the architecture and overall general visit. I've seen so many on socials talk about the great hall...but legitimately I was roaming around for a good hour exploring both the old and new building. So many gorgeous architectural details that stopped me in my steps. The new building is also very open and spacious. There appears to be a lot of amenities for library patrons including a vast tech center, cafe, seating. Need to return back to explore the courtyard and the tea rooms! I also saw they offer free tours! Love this free activity! Highly recommend visiting!
This library is beautiful. It's huge with so much history. I really enjoyed walking around and enjoying the architecture. I browsed thru some of the books and spotted a few old books about Armenian history and travel. That's was cool.. there are many desks and chairs to sit and study or work or just browse through books of interest. Quiet and therapeutic. The courtyard is also very nice with seating areas to enjoy. They also offer afternoon tea time in a beautiful setting. Reservations are recommended. Overall it's a must see while in Boston. read more
3 years ago
Overall rating: 3.75 stars Food: High tea, finger sandwiches, scones, small bites There is the tea room and the map room. The map room is darker and seems towards drinks and intimacy The tea room faces the courtyard and is directly out of a Bridgerton book! We got tea for two, each person costing $65 Texture: the scones were on the dryer end but nothing a little tea couldn't fix Pricing: $65 per person plus extra if cocktails were ordered Ambiance: The ambiance is open and airy, spacious and bright Seating & Parking: no parking since it is located in the Boston public library but plenty of seats both inside the library and in the tea rooms Service: the service was brief but thorough, they went into the history of the library and ran us through what each tier of the tea was Bathrooms: men and women Final comments: a sophisticated spot for high tea read more
2 years ago
This is amazing library with great architecture on the outside and the older part of the library has beautiful art on the inside walls. It also has a center courtyard where you're allowed to eat and read. There is a café on Boylston St entrance. They had the best chicken salad sandwich so worth fine with a bag of chips... I highly recommend here or Trident bookstore and Café if you'd like to just read and relax around books. There is also Boston public radio broadcasting from this location. read more
2 years ago
BPL is absolutely stunning! But if you want to study there the amount of tourists who comes and goes is a bit distracting Also there are no outlets in most of the places read more
3 years ago
Gorgeous. Worth a visit, even if you don't live in Boston. This place blew my socks off - and I'm an avid library explorer. Functional and beautiful, the founders of this library got it right. read more
This library is beautiful! My siblings and I visited this library about an hour before closing time. Initially, we thought we entered the correct entrance. It turns out there's a modern section of the library, and one where history of the library was preserved. Just ask a librarian staff member to point you in the direction of this library's courtyard and Bates Hall. Their courtyard was beautiful. Lovely natural lights, tranquil water fountain, and charming architectural columns and lighting. As we continued to walk past the courtyard and up their staircase, there were lion sculptures and detailed mural paintings throughout. Some of the paintings had religious messages to them. Bates Hall was something out of a Harry Potter movie. It was grand. But, I did have to stay quiet while taking pictures here, as there were people actually studying. So, be mindful and respectful. Take your pictures peacefully here. Overall, the BPL is worth checking out. It's free to visit too. read more
As I was doing my research on Boston, the library kept popping up. So I was intrigued and placed it on my Yelp Collection list. I also noticed it was near one of the Old Town Trolley stops... matter of fact, right across the street. Upon entering this quiet and historical building, is a list of the rooms located on the multiple floors. I just primarily stayed on the 1st and 2nd floors. The most impressive room with the study room with the long tables and the green lamps. The second area is the courtyard which offers tables for eating, working or chatting with friends. The third area is located right off of the main entrance..... the Grand Staircase to the 2nd floor. Incredible. Just remember to quiet your phone and your conversation. Defiantly, check this historical library out. read more
4 years ago
Upon looking up ideas for my Boston trip, the iconic Boston Public Library was noted several times. My friend and I did the Old Town trolley so we promptly exited at the Copley Square stop to walk around Back Bay and see some notable historic spots. The library itself is truly magnificent and a testament of craftsmanship years ago. They offer tours or you can respectfully walk around to soak in the sights. There's also a Courtyard Tea Room that offers exquisite high tea but seating only Wednesday-Sunday in time frame of 11 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm but read on their website the Tea Lounge has a bar where walk-ins are welcome. The library is truly a gem within Boston. read more
What a STUNNING public library. I thoroughly enjoyed walking around and appreciating the paintings, architecture, and courtyard. Absolutely beautiful spot to come roam around, read, or study. Functional and beautiful - best I've seen. read more
3 years ago
Beautiful to visit! The only down side is there are homeless people sitting inside to stay warm, other than that it is a beautiful library with art walls. read more
4 years ago
Absolutely handsdown goregous library! I felt like I could spend days just strolling the halls and following all the stairs I found. So close to so many resturaunts too! If youre in the area and waiting for your table, or want to take a quick stroll after lunch I would definitely make this my togo spot! read more
Must see if you visit Boston. Also FREE!!!! It is not only a library but so much more. The architecture and art work make it feel more like a museum. There is an entire room surrounded by a mural of the legend of Galahad. Every nook and cranny has beautiful molding, gilt work and architectural detail. The courtyard is so lovely it is often used for weddings. There is a tea room (be sure to make reservations) and even a bar! The bar is lovely. Old world bookish and high end. Beer, wine and cocktails available. Giant lion sculptures frame the main staircase (remember PBS Between the Lions?). This place is definitely worth a visit. read more
We took the free library tour and it was amazing! There is so much history at the library and our guide was so knowledgeable about it all. The original section of the library is the focus of the tour and it's so beautiful. I was surprised at how busy the library was, too, and it's FREE for everyone to use! The paintings and murals are done by some very famous artists and the woodwork and sculptures are beautiful, as is the architecture of the building. We spent a few minutes in the courtyard on a beautiful day and it was full of patrons. The tour also included a few minutes spent in the new section of the library pointing out some art and important areas of that building. Overall I definitely recommend the tour and just checking out the library in general. read more
Not as awe-inspiring as the New York Public Library, but still worth your attention. Some beautiful photo ops, but surprisingly, compared to NYPL, it's harder to get good photos without crowds obscuring your shots. Free. Pretty. Stop to see the murals and architecture. I spent probably half an hour here. But on another note, I felt guilty entering the main reading room because I felt like I was intruding on all the people actually there to study (there were a lot of us milling around). This is not a huge space, so extra people snapping photos, no matter how quietly, are likely noticeable. read more
I'm out of words to how beautiful this library is!!! For all book nerds this library is a dream. It's free admission- see all the rooms and different sections for children books, etc. huge library. Every kind of book they have it here. There's a Tea Room and a Bar area for cocktails. There's also galleries- so many rooms! Beautiful courtyard. This is a must visit when in Boston! read more
The Boston Public Library was absolutely stunning. The architecture and history here is unparalleled. There's a modern entrance where most of the books are kept, and then there's the main historic entrance with access to the courtyard, tea room, giant study rooms, and more. This was truly a gorgeous part of Boston that I'm so glad we got to see. The ceilings, the lions, the marble, the intricate details in every single thing... what a wonderful place to visit! read more
My favorite thing to do when visiting a new city is to visit the public library. I don't know when or how I started but I love visiting new libraries.. I am so glad I stopped into this one. It is huge and beautiful! Some of the spaces are reminiscent of an art gallery with ornate paintings and fixtures and of course its full of things to read and places to read them. I wandered the historic side of the library for at least an hour, there is so much to read and see. Then I went over to the newer side where it is modern updated and feels clean. I didn't spend much time here but I can absolutely see myself getting lost in the stacks. I didn't really interact with any of the staff so I can't speak to anything there but they keep the place really clean and beautiful and that's really all I can ask for. read more
The artwork, architecture and of course the library of books is impressive and amazing. We walked for a bit through the BPL during our visit to Boston. We had fun looking at all the sights and perusing the books in the main reading room. We had fun! There is a bar in the library as well but we didn't visit, maybe next time. read more
waooo amazing beautiful gorgeous sexy and more! this library is huuuge and full of both historical and modern books, infrastructure, and more. i kept walking and walking and it was totally endless! so many seats and computers for the public to use i lov how accessible everything was. it's connected to these galleries in the back as well i was in awe every little moment here read more
My wife was intent on checking out this library after reading about things to do in Boston. She mentioned it was the oldest library in the US. After checking out the Red Sox game, we rushed over to get a glimpse before it closed. I am glad that we did. The museum is quite the spectacle. Although I didn't spend a lot of time there I was quite impressed. It reminded me of a palace! Perhaps if this was my regular library I would make it a point to read more! Also, we were able to make use of the outlet to charge up our phones for a couple of minutes! Definitely worth checking out, even for a few minutes. read more
Every crevice of this library is AMAZING!!! Shame on me! I've been to Boston so many times and have passed by this library and never took the time to check it out! I recommend you take the time to appreciate this place. By the way, can only get a library card here and check out books if you are a resident. Otherwise, just embrace the beautiful views!! read more
1 year ago
A gorgeous library with a silent room to study in. Tours are available especially for those who want to learn more about the history. There is also the tea room where you can partake in high tea, this is about $65/person. read more
2 years ago
The library is a crucial public landmark and cultural symbol of a city,a spiritual totem that is constantly growing and accumulating.BPL is just such an existence,open,inclusive and helpful.when i first came to Boston,I wanted to come here.since i moved here,i came here so many times,studying,reading and writing etc.I enjoyed the time here.some suggestions: I hope that the management of outsider can be better controlled,and the indoor environment can be safer and cleaner ~ read more
2 years ago
Amazing experience for anyone. So much history and knowledge surrounding you at every turn. read more
2 years ago
It's a beautiful place. The architecture is amazing and it's huge. I spent almost 2 hours roaming the library. read more
This place is huge. To protect some folks privacy I didn't take pictures of the actual library areas. But the place is clean, quiet, classic and modern as well. Beautiful garden area where you can sit, talk, eat and read a book. Walking around and take in some of the great architecture. This place is pretty cool!! read more
Holy cow, this place is stunning. My friend knew i liked old, historic places so they took me here and I had the biggest heart eyes the entire time. I was plum swooning. It's a great place to stay for a few hours to study, or take a guest to escape the summer heat while being surrounded by beautiful marble and stone. This library is one of the reasons I decided to stay in Boston for a couple months. That's how much i loved it. So... The library: - It's the first free public library in the US. - It's been around since 1848. - It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986. - It has multiple murals that span several floors. - It has a stunning courtyard where live concerts take place in the summer. - There's free Wi-Fi throughout the library. - There's seating throughout the library, from the courtyard to the meeting halls inside. - There's a tea room, there's a cafe, there's public bathrooms. - It's free to visit! I could gush about how beautiful this place is, or how the courtyard reminds me of Italy, or how it's peaceful and quiet, but really, you should just experience it for yourself. read more
1 year ago
If you're a local or just visiting, check out this Library. There are numerous artworks, marvelous decor, and history to soak in! Pro Tip: There are tours you can take, so I would check out their site as there are designated times and dates -free on certain ones! Check out their cafe for a quick snack and coffee to keep your study fuel going. Explore the super quiet to a super open area with bustling people; whatever your preference is for getting work done or studying, you can find a great spot while being able to charge too! The front desk staff is amiable and welcoming, so if you have any questions feel free to approach them, as they've always been kind whenever I visit. read more
This was one of my favorite stops in Boston! The new library is bright, full of color, and has a little coffee shop. The old library is GORGEOUS. I loved walking around and stopped in one of the rooms to read for a bit. I also did the architecture tour, which I highly recommend. It is free and took about an hour. I learned so much and our tour guide was so knowledgeable and passionate. Get there early and get your ticket for the tour because they only allow a certain number of people. read more
Outstanding library. Truly a breathtaking public work architecture. To think that this is free and open to the public is incredible. I highly recommend visiting here when in Boston, especially a free tour of library. It's no question why this is one of the most beautiful libraries in the country. It very much rivals the library of Congress or New York public library. It truly does give you an amazing feel of what it like to live in Boston and the highly academic nature of the environment. I would come here again!! read more
More info about Boston Public Library
700 Boylston St
Boston, MA 02116
Back Bay
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(617) 536-5400
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http://www.bpl.org/central/
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