Nice, well-kept library at UW. Some of the architecture was very harry potter-esque. The library was huge and had a large selection of books of multiple genres. read more

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10/10 Amazing place to study and just to relax and have your thoughts to go out of the box. Sometimes it reminded me of a scene from Harry Potter. They have outlets for the laptops so it's helpful. read more

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It's a pretty library with interior design like the Harry Potter movies. It located on 2nd floor of the library building, lot of great spots for photos taking. Please be quiet as there are quite a few people there in the library even it's summer break. There's a Starbucks ground floor which is pretty nice too. read more

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If you'd like to be in the background of someone's wedding shots, come here! This place has turned into a tourist trap, and the UW has done nothing to manage it. No integrity of the space as a library. Sad. read more

Easy 5/5. If I'm having a good day or a bad day I want to go to Suzz and study. It's such a vibe. Go Dawgs!!!! read more

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Meditative and ethereal. I come here after years of being a local to the Rose Reading Room at New York Public Library. The stain glass windows are such a lovely touch to this vast, quiet space. If I was a student here I would be coming all the time. It was nice that entrance was free for us to enter as I know it's not always the case for these beautiful libraries. There's also a winding staircase on the side where I saw people using for graduation photo op. The quad nearby is also blooming with cherry blossom trees so that just adds another level to the beauty of this space. read more

Usually this is the time of the year (spring) when Seattleites visit the Quad to enjoy the cherry blossoms blooming. I'd highly recommend to step into the Suzzallo Library. The entrance is free for everyone, but of course only UW students and staff can borrow material from this library. Anyways if you're in the campus visiting take a look to the gorgeous architecture of the Suzzallo Library, specially in the main study room. Just keep in mind that there're actual students trying to read and study here. The library itself is huge... I've wondered around looking at their book collection and it's quite large, but as a tourist it will take you just 15 minutes to check the main entrance, stairs and study room. There's also a cafeteria for a hot drink if you happen to be here in a cold day. read more

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If you are in Seattle make time to go to Washington University and busy this library. It's in the campus and the architecture is fantastic. We don't have too many of these types of architecture in US. The library is big. You can also strolling around the campus to look at other buildings. Also very nice. Strongly recommended to visit. read more

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We were passing through the campus back on 1/3/20 and went inside this beautiful library. The exterior of this library reflected the inside of the library and was great for a photo op if you were into that. I knew this wouldn't be a big deal to a lot of people, but my college didn't have this kind of grand-looking library. The inside had a reading room that made it feel like something from a Harry Potter movie. There was also a Starbucks that was pretty busy for a chilly day. This library was great! read more

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Harry Potter film inspired library! I felt that wizarding vibe when I stepped in and started to walk up those stairs that reminded me of Hogwarts. The walls, lighting and building decor, is exquisite and well worth to visit. read more

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Fellow Gryffindors rejoice! There's a library in Seattle that will make you feel like you're back at Hogwarts; anyone who loves all things relating to Harry Potter simply needs to make a point of visiting this beautiful building :-) Be sure to check out both the main staircase and the quiet-only library on the 2nd floor; when you do, it will feel like you've stepped into the Great Hall at Hogwarts! Fans of the Harry Potter films will recognize that some of the sets used in the movies are uncanny replicas of this library. I don't know if the films' designers and/or director came here for their inspirations, but it's obvious there's a strong connection. The University of Washington (where this library resides) is aware of the connection this place has to the Harry Potter's Wizarding World; I saw a sign outside the reading room that mentions the Trip-Wizard Tournament ;-) Even if you don't love Harry Potter, this is a beautiful library, but if you do it's simply a must visit! read more

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This place feels like magic. There are the coolest doors and most stunning stained glass windows. In the front there is a locked glass room with ancient looking books and there are plenty of students studying away. This was a fun little trip followed by the nearby Sound Garden (a tribute to the band and a great little spot to stop by and visit). read more

Suzzallo and Allen Libraries - Libraries Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I love Suzzallo Library! Highlight: the second-floor reading room is a MUST-SEE for tourists and locals. Interior: absolutely stunning and beautiful. The architecture is amazing. You will spot lots of Art and Architecture students here on Suzzallo stairs working on their homework. Wifi: FREE everywhere! Yah! Study tables: lots of open group and individual study tables on each floor. They also have lots of computer stations. Study rooms: located on the 3rd floor. Different rooms can accomodate from 3 people to 15 people. I spent lots of time here with classmates. They have a computer at each room and it is convenient. Study rooms must be reserved in advance online. It can be reserved for up to 2 hours at a time. Copy/scanner: scanner is on the ground level right next to the main checkout station. Copy station is located on the second and third floor, right next to the main stacks near the hallway towards Allen library. Cafe: during the past two years when the HUB was closed, the cafe area gets way over crowded. It should get better this academic year when the HUB re-opens. The store is pretty convenient to grab a quick snack or meeting a friend. The food there is definitely way over-priced. You can expect to find coffee, orange juice, soda, energy bars, cereal, and more! Stacks: lots of interesting books and collections. If you want to find a book on your own, the signs are not very clearly marked. You have to ask the staff or find a map/direction to figure out where to locate a book. Once you have done it once or twice, it gets pretty intuitive. BE AWARE of your own belongings. Laptops and backpacks get stolen every once awhile. So watch your belongings here. read more

A modern day architectural beauty for all to enjoy outside of just the students. The library has binding staircases and a sun lit study area on the top floor that is a mix between Beauty and the Beast and a Harry Potter style marvel. Though this is a library, fundamentally there for studying, you'll rarely see that and more-so come across people taking pictures, posing for their LinkedIn profile pic, and other distracting moments! read more

The most beautiful library I have been! You will feel like you are in Harry Potter scene! It is kinda difficult to find specially if you don't go to this university. The parking is 5 dollars I believe and everybody could go and see the library for free. Just be quiet while taking pictures so you won't disturb anybody. read more

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If I went to UW, I'd study in here all the time. It is just so beautiful and detailed. It is quiet and has good lighting. There are rows of tables and chairs with a good amount of outlets. The Starbucks in there gets super busy though. read more

If you only know the beautiful facade and graduate reading room at Suzzallo, you only know part of the story. But truth be told you know everything you need to know, because those are the things that stand out about this building. They added on to it extensively, thanks to Paul Allen (that's his family name on the connected addition). That was a long time ago--if you're an undergrad, it was before you were born. It was huge before, but now the floors go back and back and back through tons more stacks than ever. It's been a long time since I have used this place as a library, so I can't comment too much on exactly what all is where. Fortunately, the building itself is interesting. You can see from the photos that the front of the building (and the upstairs reading room, which is right behind the upstairs facade) are the stars of the show. They're amazing. They front on Red Square, where most students need to walk at some point in their UW careers, and they truly set the proper tone for the scholarly work that you pursue when you enroll at a big university. Some college buildings just make it clear that they house the wisdom of the ages, and this is one of those buildings. That stately facade isn't as placid as you might think, at least under the surface. In the early days of UW, President Suzzallo had ongoing disagreements with a faculty member whose name--Gowen--is now on the building closest to Suzzallo Library. As one UW professor put it when I was a student: "Now they can still spend every day glowering at each other across that corner." Aside from that, you should check out the gargoyles in the niches high up on the walls. They're all leading thinkers from throughout history. If you're facing the building and head around the corner to your right, a couple of niches from the front you'll see Charles Darwin. Note that he's missing one leg as he's shown in the terra cotta: When the building went up, creationists protested that the depiction of Darwin included a monkey, and this endorsement of the theory of evolution offended them. They protested, eventually forcing the university to chop off Darwin's leg, and it's still gone to this day. Once you're inside, though, all is peace and quiet. The huge heavy stone walls and pillars inside make you feel like you're connecting with centuries of learning, which is exactly what many departments on campus will want you to feel (especially in your first years when you're learning the basics). Up the grand staircases is the heartbeat of the building--the Graduate Reading Room. This room is gorgeous, as you can plainly see from photos here. It's also silent. Even the briefest, most relevant, most quietly whispered statements will get you shushed here. As they should. It's a study area. Sit and read. You can always cross Red Square to study at Odegaard if you want more socializing. I have to say, if you do cross Red Square, and it's a rainy night, you should know the urban legend about those bricks. They're slippery. Ridiculously slippery for an area with tons of foot traffic and tons of rain. Rumor always had it that the administration back in the day picked slippery brick so they could use firehoses to put down student protests. No idea how true that could be, but, man, I've seen a lot of people take a tumble in Red Square. They do of course allow the quiet use of headphones in the Graduate Reading Room. I have to say, one of my favorite dumb college boy prank memories came from this. One of my housemates had this little gadget that flashed colored lights in time to whatever music you ran through it; it was a cheap little way to make any party into a dance party, I suppose. I never did ask him how he came to own it, but he did tuck it into his book bag one night on his way to Grad Rads to study. He opened his bag and let a silent, fuzzy, 8-bit-type laser show play on the ceiling there for a few minutes until he distracted enough people that he felt bad and put it away. I should ask him sometime how he managed to put it away without anybody figuring out it was coming out of his bag. Every year I say I'll go back, I'll look at the cherry trees in the Quad, I'll wander through Grad Rads and imagine that however that feels is what it might feel like to be young again. Someday I might even make good on those promises. I hope I don't fall on my face in front of the kids. read more

This library is such an asset to students at the University of Washington. It houses a quiet study study room with capacity for hundreds of students. There, students can expect complete silence (aside from the occasional cough or dropped pen) while studying to their hearts content- totally my style. The quiet study room is on the second floor of the library, right above the entrance. It is a Hogwarts-like hall with 50 foot vaulted ceilings, 22 gothic hanging lights, and 2 dozen rows of oversized solid oak tables lined with heavy oak chairs. The tables have lighting in the middle, but the light is indirect so there is even lighting over the whole surface of the table. This helps to not strain eyes when it starts to get dark. The walls are full of opaque stained glass windows, so you get filtered natural light. The hanging lights take over after dark, but only provide mood lighting. With hours from 7:30am-10pm, this library can be used by anyone, however it is referred to as the graduate library, so you typically find graduate students and upperclassmen. Undergraduates, specifically freshman and sophomores, tend to study in the Odegaard Library, across Red Square. read more

Suzzallo and Allen Libraries - Half of the quiet study room after dark - Libraries Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This is probably the most iconic library on the UW campus. Make sure to check out the biggest book in the world located on the second floor. The library has a touch of a scene from the movie Harry Potter. Surely a photographer's delight. Reading Room in Suzzallo Library is often referred to as the "Harry Potter" room. You can easily see why -- the tall gothic windows, arched ceiling, stained glass, stonework tracery, hanging lights and long tables bring to mind Hogwarts Great Hall minus the floating candles. Suzzallo and its Reading Room regularly ranks as one of the top ten most beautiful libraries in the world. Don't bring a bag of chips or anything noisy to eat in the Reading Room. You are guaranteed to receive glares. *Explore Suzzallo & Allen Libraries* *The Suzzallo Reading Room measures 65 feet high, 52 feet wide, and 250 feet long. *The Grand Staircase: climb the Grand Staircase . . . *The Bhutan Book: to see one of the world's biggest books. *The Grand Stair Hall also houses one of the world's biggest books, a series of photographs of Bhutan by Michael Hawley.  Protected by light-safe glass, the book's pages are turned about once a month by Library staff. *The Reading Room: Enter the Suzzallo Reading Room. Take a moment to savor the quiet. *Globes: At each end of the reading room, hangs a hand-painted world globe, each of which bear names of explorers.  In the south apse, Leif Ericson, Marco Polo, Columbus, Amerigo Vespucci, Magellan, Henry Hudson, Vasco da Gama and Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo.  In the north apse,  Ponce de Léon, Hernando Cortez, Capt. John Smith, Sir Walter Raleigh, Fray Junípero Serra, Vasco Núñez de Balboa, Francisco Pizarro, John Cabot, Jacques Cartier and Fernando de Soto. *Allen Lobby Ravens: Look up to see the permanent exhibit:  Raven Brings Light to this House of Stories. 40 ravens and crows are suspended from the ceiling and carry symbols from cultures around the world. The title is displayed above the windows in the Lushootseed and English languages.  Additional artworks in the immediate area include poems, a hand-made book, and a study table. *Special Collections: Take a quick trip down the stairs to see the current exhibit outside Special Collections(the Libraries' major resource for rare and archival materials). read more

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If it looks really great on photo, you will shock when you see it in real life. When I visited this library, I felt like I'm in Hogwarts. The most beautiful library in my life. read more

Suzzallo and Allen Libraries - Libraries Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This is a library. Wow...everything about it is gorgeous. Once you venture up the grand staircase of stone, and just before entering the Harry Potter themed reading room, you see the world's largest book surrounded by Gothic Cathedral like windows. The reading room is wood paneled featuring many medieval looking light fixtures. If you're near the University, this is a must see! read more

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THE NERD LIBRARY it's definitely NOT like Odeguard!!! Like in movies when they portray libraries on big campuses, this is exactly like that. Exactly! The over studious students, the quietness and echoes of ones cough, the high ceilings and shelves of old books. It's just like the movies. Great place to get away from everyone and focus on your studies. Remember when you'd call/text me and ask where my where-abouts was and I'd always reply "on campus" or "studying" and you thought I was lying/playing mind games and out with someone else. Well, I really was here studying and now you see the results of it. I accept your apology! JABA APPROVED. Until the next review... read more

Hogwarts Library! Luv uuuuuu! This is definitely the showpiece to bring visiting out-of-towners to. So beautiful, especially in comparison to the ugly concrete behemoths surrounding it on the square. I think that Suzzallo, the quad, and Drumheller fountain are the most beautiful spots in campus. I visited this library alot just for taking books out, and it also has some nice nooks and crannies to study in, though I preferred Allen for that. The Hogwarts reading room is, of course, beautiful and impressive, but after a few visits in my first year I realized it was not the study space for me. With that many people in a cavernous space it's hard to avoid noise, though students do a pretty good job with not talking there (as its a quiet study space). Note to tourists: it's a quiet study space! You should feel free to walk through the room, but don't chat, and don't stop right next to people and look at what they're doing, they're working. read more

Great library, best study rooms and cafe. Very quiet and of course great place to take pics! Clean bathrooms compared to ode and nice hours and checkout system read more

This is a great architectural building both inside and out. The new Starbucks located on the main floor is like no other. Lots of seating/lounge areas in this Starbucks with couches read more

I have taken many a date here to walk through the architecture. Flying buttresses, spiral staircase, dark chandeliers, mosaics, copper statues, faint yet vibrant full length curtains. We even did our engagement photos here. So, mostly this is an architectural review. read more

Like Harry Potter? Go to the reading room, it gives you the Hogwarts feel. Great lighting in the reading room when the sun is out and when it's not pouring outside. Awesome area to sit in when you want quiet time. Other than that, I don't have much to say but that it's a library and people study in it. read more

UW is a gorgeous campus with an east coast ivy league feel, yet on the west coast. This library's highlight is the grand reading room, aka the Harry Potter Room. It's high ceilings, pillars, large wood tables, old school lamps, and shelves lined with books from floor to ceiling make it a lovely place to read or study. It is very quiet and solemn. The hours aren't that great, but great if you're just visiting. If you need to get some late night studying done, your go to is Odegaard Library just across the plaza. read more

Suzzallo and Allen Libraries - Beautiful interior of the "Harry potter" room - Libraries Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Very blah. If you're expecting Harry Potter then you will be disappointed. It is not something you should go out of the way to see, yet if in the U district it's worth checking out. read more

I'm not even a student here. I'm just on a mini-vacation in Seattle but my boyfriend (who knows I love libraries) brought me here. The exterior is beautiful, but the reading room is just magnificent. It's now probably one of my favorite sites and I really hope it doesn't get torn down/modernized. Would love to visit it again! read more

Suzzallo and Allen Libraries - gorgeous reading room. - Libraries Near Me - Seattle, Washington

So it seems that I always seem to go to schools with interesting libraries...But honestly, if you come to Seattle, you have to visit this library. Unfortunately, this library isn't open late and closes pretty early. I think it's also close on certain days and holidays, so be sure to check the times before coming here. The architecture outside and inside is pretty great. To be fair, the only part that you really need to see is the reading room and the grand staircase, but just those things are enough because it's beautiful! The rest of the library isn't really much, but definitely stop by this place if you're planning on visiting the UW campus especially if it's not cherry blossom season. read more

Absolutely gorgeous. The stuff of dreams. This building has a lot of character that you can't find anymore. But shh, it is a library and there are students studying. So, please admire in silence. This was one of the best stops I made during my Seattle trip. read more

I get distracted in the reading room cause it's quiet. Too quiet. Be careful, it's a trap. read more

Absolutely beautiful architecture, plenty of quiet places to hide with a good book or to study quietly. Computers, media sections, convenient printing, all usually pretty available even during peak hours. The cafe is usually super crowded, but has nice snacks and the line is only terrible between class periods or right after they finish. Everyone loves the reading room, but if you wander the stacks and go upstairs and away from the stairwell, there are some cozy carrels (they even usually have sockets for charging computers). I love reading all the carrel graffiti. read more

Such a lovely library! You really feel like you've been transported to Hogwarts. This is a quiet study area and whether you're coming in to do work or just to check the space out, you can pretty much hear a pin drop. There's an abundance of signs to remind you to be quiet as you make your way up the stairs and before you enter the room. Even with its lack of noise, I feel like I would be distracted by folks coming in and out of the room but plenty of students are in there, hard at work! read more

Come here for the Harry Potter-esque reading room! Remember, no talking inside the quiet areas! Overall this is a good place on campus to show visitors. Near the main entrance, they have tables which are good for eating or meeting up with friends. This library is also connected to the Allen Library which has a lot more seating and work spaces. Go Huskies! read more

nice place to study，free wifi and a lot of empty table. There is also a large Starbucks on the first floor right after you enter

Well lit, clean and lots of areas for studying. I have to say that it is one of the prettier libraries I have been to, and I found lots of areas to sit around and do some work while on the wifi. It was a very decent experience coming, and I don't know who could be disappointed with this library. read more

The reading room is amazing, the giant book is also really cool! It does have limited hours, but it is always a quiet place to study. There is also a coffee place on the main level. read more

The exterior is magnificent, the reading room is gorgeous, the cafe is good, and the bathrooms... not so great. 4 stars.