Was researching the first owner of the old brownstone I live in and they were so helpful. It's an amazing place recently saw a free program where an actor portrayed Queen Elizabeth the first. Incredible place. read more

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I have enjoyed many years of visits, membership, and genealogy and historical research work at the Newberry Library of Chicago, Illinois. I am from Chicago. I am a historian who specializes in Chicago and Illinois history and genealogy. The Newberry Library provided me with resources that enabled me to discover major and exciting things about my own Illinois family history. One of my published books, which is a history of Springfield, Illinois, is in the Newberry Library collection. I was also a member of the Newberry Library Associates, a junior auxiliary board that helped raise money and awareness for the Newberry Library. I also was a member of the Caxton Club, a book collectors's club that is based at the Newberry Library. Thank you to the Newberry Library for all you have done to help me with my family history research. Thank you for being a grand and wonderful part of the Chicago community. I look forward to many more visits to the Newberry Library! God bless. read more

I've been doing genealogy for years and recently hit some standstills. I know that Newberry not only offered greater depth into images when you use their accounts online, but their resident genealogists are extremely helpful and quick to offer remedy option paths. Today, after several of research, I came across their bookstore as I was leaving. It's super cute and I thought I might find something interesting. I did!! In the back left nook area there is a Book Fair section. Used books which have been categorized and were all in super decent shape. Cooking section... I found 4 cookbooks. Each was over 1,000 pages except one, it had almost 800. Hardcovers and in incredibly good shape! I paid $5 each for 3 of them and $6 for another. They had their jacket sleeves too. So heavy to schlep home but totally worth it! They had some pretty fantastic historical books, as well. I encourage you to stop into this beautiful building, get a free library access card, and also checkout their bookstore on main level (directly to the right once you enter into the building). read more

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Beautiful inside! I was just sad there wasn't much space to sit and work besides the lounge (and have food or drinks with you)

On a rainy afternoon, we wandered in to the Newberry Library. It was the perfect spot to spend an afternoon. The Gold Coast building is gorgeous from the outside in. Grand and stately, facing a park, it gives off an elegant and mysterious vibe. Walking in, the staff was so welcoming. It was our first time so we had a few questions. There is so much more to this lovely library. The gift shop is so nice. It is filled with wonderful items you won't find at other stores. The greeting cards and note books are diverse and plentiful. The exhibit we saw was interesting and well curated. I was happy to see many people enjoying it. I feel so lucky to live so close to the Newberry Library and am looking forward to returning soon. read more

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Important collection of archives/materials related to native histories- that's what brought me to the Newberry. But their gift shop and rotating exhibit are rad, too! Visit and catch the "Indigenous Chicago" exhibit while it's still up! read more

Heaven is a place on Earth and it's called the Newberry Library. This place is such a gem and I'm thankful that it exists! My favorite weekend is the Newberry Library used book fair. There are 3 rooms packed to the brim with books, puzzles, games, CDs, maps, and more available for purchase. I picked up three hardback books that were on my list for $8 total. You can't beat that! The staff and volunteers here are phenomenal. So friendly and helpful! The library itself is also stunning with lots of books and even some exhibitions to enjoy. The restrooms are available to visitors and are sparkly clean. read more

Newberry Library - Book Fair - Libraries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Come here for the special exhibits and the free tour. If you do any special research on humanities subject, there is a plethora of resources available here. read more

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Beautiful. The building tour was informative. I love research and now have a free card to access their collection. Awesome!

They got rid of their annual book fair that brought people in from around the region to celebrate the library and books for an event saturday with 40 volunteers standing around and some powerpoint presentations. Clueless staffing and choices. It's also become cold, dark, and dated inside and looks like a 1940s era designed high school. Do not support. read more

Popped in for a talk on the development of the media to accompany the new exhibit Chicago Avant Garde. What a treat to hear the creative process between three artists as the came up with the messaging for such a fascinating exhibit. read more

Newberry Library - Libraries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The Newberry Library is a hidden gem in the City of Chicago! It offers many FREE venues open to THE PUBLIC! I went here over Christmas with my family to see the 1893 Chicago World's Fair Exhibit which was extensive in nature-containing artifacts such as pictures, maps, postcards, writings, etc with details about many aspects of the fair. It was fascinating. The current Exhibition is on author Herman Melville and is open to the public for FREE and features the story of "Moby Dick" and is titled "Melville: Finding America at Sea." There are a number of FREE academic presentations by local authors and scholars including professors which I attended recently and I liked that at the end of the presentation, the audience was allowed to ask the presenters questions. PS: Do not miss the artifact from the Chicago World's Fair outside the Melville Exhibit. It is a Ferris Wheel with postcards from the World's Fair and is a permanent display. read more

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It had been years since I was here, and a relative referred me to a discussion on Jun Fujita, a photographer known for documenting tragic mements in Chicago History, such as the Eastland disaster and the race riots of 1919. The rooms were beautiful and decorative, the exhibit was set up brilliantly too. I wasn't nuts about the two authors. The slide presentation was nice but I feel I learned more about THEM and their works than Fujita. The event lasted over an hour or so at 6pm with no refreshments (they have a lot of great and rare, expensive stuff there) so eat beforehand. read more

We strictly went to visit the Newberry Library because it was someplace to go and we could walk to it. We were pleasantly surprised to learn there was an upcoming tour. While it's not a flashy, exciting place, it was an amazing building with two excellent FREE exhibits and an amazing background story/history. As a genealogist, I was impressed with their genealogy collection. All the online databases are free to all and anyone can get a "reader's card" and use the research rooms. I understand that tours can be challenging and our tour guide was very knowledgeable; but I thought it could have a little peppier, so times it kind of dragged. I would give it a 9 out of 10. read more

We went for a specific exhibit on the former Mr. Kelly's famous night club on Rush Street. No entrance fee, and the exhibit did not disappoint. We arrived late afternoon and did not get to explore the rest of the library, but it was well worth our visit while we were in Chicago. read more

Lots to see and do! Don't skip the gift shop/book store! That alone is worth the trip! They have books and greeting cards you won't find anywhere else. read more

So I've never actually been to the library section of Newberry Library, but while checking out their ballroom today I realized that it's about time I check it out! Unfortunately, the library section was closed today (closed on Mondays) but I'll be back! But on to the Newberry Library as an event venue, which many yelpers seem to be a fan of (based on the other reviews). And there's a reason there are so many fans- this room is absolutely GORGEOUS! The room just screams elegance without being too stuff and it's the type of room that would really work with any type of flowers or other decoration. A member of the staff (a very helpful man by the name of Lonnie) gave me a folder with pricing...and it was much more reasonable than I expected. It seems like it's about $5000 to rent the room and then you can use any caterer you want (very nice since many of these venues seem to place restrictions on caterers). Based on my own wedding venue search in South Florida this place seems like a deal...and best of all it's in a prime downtown Chicago location! As far as space I believe the large ballroom can hold 200 for a seated reception and 300 for a cocktail reception. One of my fiance's friends is getting married here in just a few weeks so I'm super excited now to see how beautiful the room is when it's all done up. Stay tuned for more on Newberry Library after that wedding...and then even more when I finally make it to the actual library! Edit 11/17/07: Attended a wedding here last night and it was so gorgeous! They had the ceremony in the very historic looking lobby so the bride walked down the stairs...loved it! And Ruggles Hall was even prettier all decorated! read more

Newberry Library - Yelp Fashion Show at Newberry Library! - Libraries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

There is no better place in Chicago to do serious research in specific areas of knowledge without belonging to a university. The Newberry Library is probably THE most erudite library in the Midwest; at first glance, a semi-private library with old school charm and traditions. Not only is it the home of the Chicago Humanities Festival, it is the prime vault for the rarest of tomes and ephemera, meeting rooms and exhibition halls, along with a great shop for purchasing a huge variety of literary and historical books. The Newberry is open to the public but with a litany of conditions: The first is, to obtain a reader card, your area of research must fall within the library's core collections. The second is understanding that most of the collection is only available via paging from closed stacks. I am amazed at how well they've kept their traditions and maintain the highest standards. PS: There's a huge push by the Library to book events (wedding and event photos galore), but at its heart, this is a library. Your event helps fund scholarships and keeps this a free and open library for the public. read more

Newberry Library is absolutely gorgeous. Newberry is one of my new favorite libraries. The library is only a few blocks away from Michigan Ave and a few blocks away from the Redline and the major buses go past the library. It's a multi-story building that's filled with so many historical books. I was honored to be able to get a honor of the library when I first visited a few months ago. I was informed and shown so many of the great books that they have in the library. I even learned that people travel from all across the world to gather information for their research because Newberry may be the only library that has that particular book. I recently attended a free event at the Library and I got to see another feature of the library. They have a massive room that I can easily see accommodating a variety of events. Because the Newberry is so well known they tend to host very popular book discussions that address hard hitting topics. The event I attend yesterday was about the rise and fall of Carbini-Green which led to a conversation of being advocates in your community. I know Newberry is a popular place for weddings. After visiting the library a few times, I've definitely fallen into the trap of wanting to get married at the library until you realize just how expensive it is to do so. Newberry is across from a beautiful park that can be used for wedding ceremonies. read more

Lovely research library! Many fond memories of coming over to work with rare books while in grad school. I love attending the programs here and am so happy that they are free! read more

Nice library, they have lots of maps with translations both in Spanish and in English. My husband was a cartographer and loves maps so we spent a long time admiring the beautifully colored maps. We didn't get to go anywhere else as we were running late to meet friends. read more

Apparently this is not a "public" library. I went in here with a buddy of mine to check out this beautiful historical landmark and the front desk (blocking off the main stairwell) said you must be on a tour to see the interior beyond the bookstore, washrooms and art exhibit. Tours of every corner of the building are offered Thursdays at 3:00 pm and Saturdays at 10:30 am. Otherwise, you need "special" permission to enter upstairs. Boo! A side fact: Some say that Washington Square Park which faces the Newberry Library is where the term "get off your/my soapbox" comes from. Public speakers would stand on an actual soapbox to say an impromptu speech that is usually political nature. Currently there is a fountain surrounded by flowers and a fence. read more

Newberry Library - Newberry library facade - Libraries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My husband and I had our wedding ceremony in Ruggles Hall September 2015. We couldn't have asked for a better location. Karen and Chayla were a delight. We were sad to see Karen retire during the process, after 25+ years, but Jennifer came on board like a champ! Chayla was our main point of contact and was extremely open, professional, and accommodating! I could go on and on about Chayla...she made the process a delight! Josh & I had a short, 5-month engagement and we didn't feel rushed to make any decisions here. The room, as others have detailed in their reviews, speaks for itself. Add a few flowers if you so choose and you're set! The venue throws in decorations for the bathrooms and lobby stairwell. We had two hours under our contract but it didn't feel rushed. Chayla was there every step of the way updating me on who had/hadn't arrived, what was going on downstairs, etc. She even came to just sit with me in the bridal suite to help remove any jitters. That kind of care can't be made up. Forever grateful! We rehearsed the day before for 1.5hrs and had all of our questions answered. If you're considering this location, a few things you may want to know: Ruggles Hall sits 208 max There is a finely tuned baby grand piano Ceremony-only rentals are for 2 hours We had the entire use of the parking lot (for an early Saturday afternoon ceremony) The bridal suite is a huge, 2-room study area Lighting in the room is very romantic Chayla is the real deal DREAM team! We couldn't have asked for better! read more

Newberry Library - Our wedding set up (September 2015) - Libraries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I mainly go here for their annual sale, which is ridiculously huge in multiple rooms. They always have some interesting art or Chicago history books for a decent price, and yes I am one of those people that likes to read books. A generic paperback version of a popular novel, however, looked like it was $2.50 but imagine my shock when I found out it was $250 because the author had signed it.....ridiculous! All those strange smelling old books in one place is intoxicating, and I love the old book grease you get on your hands (dust, soot, geriatric lotions?). Apart from the sale I have been here for Yelp fashion show (where I first met the people who would later play roles as great friends). The outside square is famous for political stump speeches. It is a historic Chicago building that is 125 years old at the time of this review, with a history best explored on their website, really encompassing the history of US libraries in the 20th century. read more

I had my wedding here on 7/16 and everything was perfect, in huge part because of the Newberry and Chayla. Chayla is the event coordinator at the Newberry and she acts as a sort of wedding planner. The venue is so beautiful itself and does not need that much to make it into a spectacular space or a wedding. Chayla was very helpful in giving us everything we needed and coordinating with the vendors. They provide a suggested list of bands/ djs and additionally require you to chose from one of their exclusive caterers, however there are multiple options so it is not a problem at all! We had the ceremony in the park across the street, the cocktail hour in the huge, beautiful main entry and the reception in Ruggles hall.Many of our guests were pleasantly surprised by the large rooms and beautiful spaces the Newberry provided us with. Thank you Chayla for assisting in our wedding! read more

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Recently I attended a free event to the public at the Newberry Library concerning a persons journey for family history. It was interesting but longer than expected. Over the years I have been there for various events and have enjoyed it. Staff has been friendly, events are informative. Only one event was I disappointed because it was too small and they had several books under glass. According to a plaque outside, the site formerly occupied by a residence which was "the only house in the path of the great fire of 1871 which was not burned." Good place for genealogy research ! read more

Newberry Library - Plaque outside - Libraries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Went here for a special event, and it was a nice venue. Applied for a job here, and was IGNORED. Boo. Bad manners, Newberry, bad manners. read more

This is a Wedding Review: My husband and I had our wedding AND reception here in Oct '04. The staff was very friendly and on top of their game! Karen Scubish was our main contact. --They don't impose restrictions on you: catering, flowers, etc. So you can use whichever vendors you please. --There is a LOT of space to chill out beforehand. --The marble staircase is supercool....I loved walking down the stairs rather than an aise. --Washington Park (across the street) is great for photo opps --Overall beautiful decor --Price was $4000 (?) for 6 hours....I think (it's been a while). Highly recommend the Newberry if you want to do something different! read more

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Great little research library just off the Gold Coast on the near north side of Chicago. This library is famous for collecting only a select few fields...such as cartography...but what it does collect it has great depth in. Using the library is free and open to the public. You need only have an interest in one of their fields of study and then sign in to get a free research card. You only have to pay a small fee if you want photo copies or prints of something. The library is called home by a number of academic and independent researchers who are pursuing advanced studies or research in comparable fields...the library provides study spaces and carrels for these researchers. The library puts on scores of shows, classes, author readings, and presentations each year that are available for a small charge. The Newberry Library is also the home of the Newberry Library Book Fair that is held annually as a fund raiser. The Fair has 10s of thousands of books for sale and, once again, is free and open to the public. They collect donations all year and then put them back into the market in one giant fest each year. It is amazing that a research library of this quality is free and open to the public...make sure you take advantage of it. read more

I had my wedding here on 9/26/10 - Sarah L. was one of the guests - thanks for the kind words!! :-) Overall I really enjoyed my experience at the Newberry. The venue is really nice (I like the cocktail area better than the reception room) and the staircase is pretty awesome. For the most part they are willing to work with you to accommodate special requests, which is nice. Karen A. is the special events contact there and she is great - very kind and very easy to work with - 2 thumbs up for her. On the day of our wedding, she met me and my husband at the back entrance and escorted us through some back hallways/basement to sneak us into the cocktail hour - it was really fun to make our surprise entrance! The Newberry hosts A LOT of weddings, so they know the drill - I would recommend this to anyone looking to have a classy wedding in downtown. :-) read more

I went here for the book sale a few months ago so I can't tell about the full library experience, but I was impressed. The building is absolutely beautiful and if I lived closer I would love to spend hours reading a book in one of their corners... (but apparently from other reviews they don't let you hang around most areas). I think I have a seasonal reaction (like when birds know to fly south) to when the book sale is coming up, but for me it's off by a week or two. For the past two years I would think to myself: hmm.. I think this is around the time of the Newberry Library book sale. And then when I look it up I find that it was the previous weekend. Not this time! I had it on my calender for over a month before the actual event, took time off of work, got a Sprinkles cupcake and headed to the library. I was blown away by the sheer size of the event and actually got lightheaded (probably because the lighting was too dark and I'm very sensitive to such things). You really never know what you'll find. I am a history buff for a very specific era and they satiated my hunger for old memoirs among other subjects. And in the end I spent less than $20.00! The only thing I really didn't like about the event is that they have a holding area where people could drop off their books while they continue to look. I saw a book I really wanted, and it was already nabbed :( Tease. read more

I'll just say a few words about the Newberry Library. We went to a cousin's wedding there on a Saturday night. The location is magnificent. Apparently, this was an old home that was converted into a library. But, there rooms on the main floor are glorious. The location was really beautiful and a great choice for a wedding. I didn't get to see the library, but was told by others that there is a fully complete library on the upper floors. I'll have to return there sometime to see it for myself. read more

The library inside is small and the selection is very limited. Would have been cool if they would've had more of a theme to their books, more chicago fiction would have been fun. The greeting card selection here is really great! read more

Newberry Library - Libraries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I wasn't wearing a stoll, nor was I chauffeured, but I felt like a starlet traipsing toward the grand dame of libraries, Ms. Newberry. In my mind, it's a she. . . and she's breathtaking from afar and a sight to be seen once inside her hallowed halls. I tucked in here on a rainy day for my Food Writing 101 class, eager to meet burgeoning critics, former chefs and trained writers on common ground: a love of words, and a gourmand quest. The Newberry immediately makes you hush and look up, at the big arches and sconces; the chandeliers made of iron and lights glowing like embers. It's just a very, very special place to hunker and turn pages as though you're clicking over train tracks, slowly moving away from reality. Stories really take flight at the Newberry. As I was leaving, the staff was placing votives along the marble shelves. I can think of nothing more exquisite than a regal wedding, complete with a cathedral train and tails, starting and ending in the grand entry way. Simply and positively picturesque. read more

My husband and I had our wedding at the Newberry Library earlier this year, and we had an awesome experience. The Newberry is such a beautiful venue, and we got many compliments on the space. Thank you to Chayla and Jessica for all their help planning. As a book-lover, this was a dream come true! We held our ceremony and reception in Ruggles Hall, and the cocktail hour (in between) in the lobby. Would definitely recommend for a wedding venue, or just to visit in general! read more

After passing Newberry numerous times & having no reason to go in, I was very happy to have an excuse last night! My friend & co-worker had a baroque harpsichord, cello, and violin performance last night that was fabulous. I was blown away with the level of talent each musician had, but was also so excited to be in such a beautiful building hearing such lovely music. The Ruggles Room had just the right acoustic for such an intimate performance & I could not have been more pleased. I will definitely be back to hear more music & revel in the historic, beautiful building that is the Newberry Library. read more

I just realized it's milestone review time, so I thought I'd focus on a great place for this one. I've been many times since I grew up nearby. My most recent exposure was several months ago - I landed a private tour of the "Artifacts of Childhood: 700 Years of Children's Books" exhibit, by the co-curator, Jenny Schwartzberg. The exhibit, like many at Newberry, was multi-disciplinary - a history of education, a glimpse into attitudes towards the psychology of children throughout the ages, and it featured great religious and international pieces. Breathtaking illustrations. Even a book written by a young girl. Fabulous. I'm a Sara Paretsky fan, and I learned that Newberry houses her original papers. I hope Jenny wont mind me taking advantage - I'd love to see them. Not only is the place unparalleled from a collections standpoint, it's drop dead gorgeous. I just love it. read more

As a Day of Wedding coordinator, I have worked the Newberry SEVERAL times in my career. The Newberry is a special place for many reasons. The decor, the open space for event in the night, the beautiful park across the road, its awesome staircases, and its overall class. Ruggles hall is flawlessly maintained, and its accents really add to a wedding's look. Its sad that as a wedding venue, the coordinator Karen, is so difficult and put off by people who are just doing their jobs. She is unhelpful, abrupt, and clearly has no interest of the bride and groom in mind her actions. She has made it her business to ruin others reputations just by simple requests that all wedding halls should and would oblige to (i.e. clean chairs, proper conduct, and open communication have been frequent) Its sad that such a wonderful place to get married is made so difficult. read more

I really should go here more often.... Well, I used to go when they would take out some of the "relics" out of the vaults. I went two different times when they had illuminated manuscripts on display. "On display" means younger, more resilient, manuscripts were on a large table for viewers to peruse and older, medieval era, manuscripts were on period pedestals manned by white gloved page turners. So pretty much you could look through EVERYTHING....which is what I did, exactly, on both visits. I would have taken the white glove off and slapped me if I was one of those page turners. Well, anyway, you should go. Become a member too. Support really old books that were written in Gold. And also, figure out where your family is from all the way back to caveman days. read more

It's a sad, sad day when one of the most impressive private research libraries in the country is ooh'ed and ahh'ed over on yelp as a fucking WEDDING VENUE! (Sorry. Hate weddings. Hate anything to do with weddings. I don't go to or participate in weddings if I can help it. If I ever marry the ladyfriend, I hope to do it without the benefit of a wedding. I try very hard not to hate people who have weddings, since those people comprise a statistically significant portion of my social circle and loved ones.) Even if you don't do research, or aren't into drooling over REALLY OLD books, you should know the Newberry for one thing: the annual book sale. It is really a masterpiece, a sight for sore bibliophile eyes. Acres after acres of used books, snaking through most of the public space of the library. Don't miss it. Seriously. Don't. You should know another thing. Applying for jobs at the Newberry is something of a hobby of mine. They never hire me, but they're always so nice about it that I never have any hard feelings. read more