While your municipal library might have white walls and garish carpet, be furnished with nothing fancier than metal shelves, and be equipped with loud and ugly electronic checkout systems, and printers, it’s not the case of all libraries. Many libraries around the world are built to impress and be as grandiose as the volumes they host. The coolest libraries in the world have extraordinary architecture, display amazing art, and hold tens of thousands of books, some of them incredibly rare, and the best part is: You can visit most of them.
Photo: Allen.G/Shutterstock
The 15 Coolest Libraries Around the World and How to Visit Them
The 10 coolest libraries around the world
The Old Library at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, home to a 1,200-year-old manuscript
Photo: STLJB/Shutterstock
Trinity College’s Old Library might be most famous for housing the Book of Kells, the ninth-century illuminated Gospel manuscript that is considered one of Ireland’s national treasures, but there’s much more to this library than one ancient (albeit beautiful and incredibly rare) book. The Long Room of the Old Library, the most famous part of Trinity College, is located upstairs from the exhibition room where the Book of Kells is displayed. It is a superb room filled with oak bookcases containing 200,000 of the library’s oldest books that seems to stretch for miles under an barrel-vaulted ceiling.
How to visit the Old Library at Trinity College?
The Old Library is open to the public through a variety of experience packages that range in price from $21 (€19) for a self-guided visit of the Long Room and the exhibition of the Book of Kells, to $37 (€33.50) for a guided tour of Trinity campus, followed by a self-guided visit of the Old Library, the Book of Kells exhibition, the Gaia exhibition, and the immersive digital experience in the Old Library.
The Bodleian Library, Oxford, England, one of the oldest libraries in Europe
Photo: agsaz/Shutterstock
There is some confusion about what the Bodleian Library is. Many people think it’s the Radcliffe Camera, the impressive Baroque 18th-century circular building that is arguably the most recognizable structure in all of Oxford. But it isn’t. The Radcliffe Camera is indeed home to a working library, but it’s not the Bodleian Library. The Bodleian Library is actually officially known as the Bodleian Old Library so as not to confuse it with the Bodleian Library Complex which consists of 26 individual Oxford libraries, including the Bodleian Old Library and the Radcliff Camera. The Bodleian Old Library opened in 1602 and is one of the oldest in Europe. It consists of three beautiful historic rooms: the Upper and Lower Reading Rooms and the Duke Humfrey’s Library. It is connected to the Radcliffe Camera by the Gladstone Link, a underground library/study space.
How to visit the Bodleian Old Library?
30, 60, or 90-minute guided tours of the Bodleian Old Library are available starting at $13.10 (£10). Some tours include visits of the Radcliffe Camera and the Gladstone Link.
Admont Abbey Library, Austria, known as the Beauty and the Beast Library
Photo: Nat S. Retsu/Shutterstock
The Admont Abbey Library, completed in 1776 in a seriously overwhelming European Baroque style, is the largest abbey library in the world. The library’s seven vaulted domes are decorated with stunning frescoes by Bartolomeo Altomonte. Stored below are about 70,000 volumes (the Abbey owns nearly 200,000 books in total) among numerous carvings, pink marble columns, and a striking white and gold aesthetic. In 1865, a fire consumed almost the entire monastery, with the exception of the stunning abbey library and its beautiful and rare volumes. The Admont Abbey Library is said to have been the inspiration for Belle’s library in the 1991 Disney film Beauty and the Beast.
How to visit the The Admont Abbey Library?
The Admont Abbey Library is open to the public. Admission is $20.50 (€18.50) and audioguides are available for $4.50 (€4.00). Guided tours are available daily for just $3.30 (€3) but only in German.
The library at St. Catherine’s Monastery, Egypt, the oldest continuously operated library in existence
Photo: Melnikov Dmitriy/Shutterstock
St. Catherine’s Monastery, built between the years 548 and 565, is one of the oldest monasteries in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is located in the Sinai Desert, at the foot of Mount Horeb/Mount Sinai, where the Old testament says that Moses received the Ten Commandments from God. The monastery consists of various buildings, including many churches, ossuaries, a 12th-century mosque, accommodations for the residing monks, and what is said to be the oldest continuously operated library in existence. The library at St. Catherine’s Monastery houses thousands of volumes in various languages, including Greek, Georgian, Coptic, Armenian, Ethiopic, and more. The library holds the second-most number of manuscripts (religious and non-religious) after the Vatican.
How to visit the library at St. Catherine’s Monastery?
While various parts of the monastery are open to the public, the library isn’t unless you obtain special permission.
Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris, France, home to more than 9,000 comics
Photo: Allen.G/Shutterstock
The Bibliothèque Nationale de France (also known as the BNF) consists of five locations, four in Paris and one in Avignon in the south of France. While they all have their own unique aesthetics, the most beautiful of the five sites is arguably Richelieu, a library-museum combo located in a former 17th-century palace whose renovation was completed in 2022 after more than 10 years of work. Every corner of the BNF Richelieu is worth visiting, from the garden to the grand staircase, but the Oval Room with its 20,000 volumes and 9,000 comic books, the Labrouste Room, and the Mazarin Gallery are the highlights.
How to visit the Bibliothèque Nationale de France — Richelieu?
While the Oval Room (and all its books) is free to access to everyone, other parts of the BNF, including the museum, require the purchase of a ticket. Guided tours are available starting at $10 (€9).
The Stockholm Public Library, Sweden, an unsuspected temple of knowledge
Photo: Thorir Ingvarsson/Shutterstock
The City Library in Stockholm may look very modern, but it opened almost 100 years ago, in 1928. Although it features a border of what looks like hieroglyphics, the exterior of the library is simple enough (a cubic base topped with a cylinder) and does not necessarily catch the eye of unsuspecting out-of-towners. However, those who make it inside get rewarded for their curiosity. Walk in the entrance hall and take the time to admire the stucco relief displaying illustrated extracts from Homer’s Iliad. Then, take the stairs all the way to the Rotunda, the central part of the library. The walls of this large cylindrical room are lined with bookshelves holding 40,000 books. Walk to the top gallery for a stunning view of this unique structure.
How to visit the Stockholm Public Library?
There’s no entry fee to get in, but because it is a functioning library, you’ll have to be silent during your visit. Note that the Stockholm Public Library is closed for renovations until 2027.
Stuttgart City Library, Germany, an ultra-modern structure
Photo: Preisler/Shutterstock
Designed by Korean architect Eun Young Yi and opened in 2011, the city library on Mailänder Platz in Stuttgart might look like an sad-looking gray concrete cube from the outside, but inside, it’s another story entirely. The central room, mostly white, lined with books, and filled with light thanks to an immense skylight, consists of five minimalist floors/galleries all linked by floating staircases. At the top is a roof terrace with sweeping views over the city. The city library on Mailänder Platz in Stuttgart is the city’s Central Library. The Stuttgart City Library complex consists of the Central Library, 18 district libraries, library buses, and the eLibrary. The Central library holds over half a million media items.
How to visit the Central Library in Stuttgart?
Access to the library is free of charge. Upon entering, visitors can borrow audio guides to get a guided tour of this ultra-modern structure and better understand Eun Young Yi’s architectural intents.
Strahov Monastery Library, Prague, Czech Republic, home to thousands of editions of the Bible
Photo: Maciej Bledowski/Shutterstock
The Strahov Monastery Library, part of the Starhov Monastery, is comprised of three main rooms: the Theological Hall, the Philosophical Hall, and the Cabinet of Curiosity, all of which contain invaluable volumes. The Theological Hall stores 21,000 volumes, many of which are different editions of the Bible or parts of the Bible in many languages, and the Philosophical Hall houses over 60,000 volumes on the topics of philosophy and the sciences. Both the Theological and the Philosophical Halls are intricately decorated in a Baroque style with religiously inspired frescoes, stucco work, wooden shelves, and parquet. The Cabinet of Curiosities contains books, as well as glass cases displaying natural science collections, including various fauna specimens and archeological findings. The Theological hall houses a collection of terrestrial and astronomical globes.
How to visit the Strahov Monastery Library?
Admission to the Strahov Monastery Library costs $6.50 (150 CZK). A more complete guided tour of the monastery costs $12.75 (290 CZK). Tickets can be purchased online.
Al-Qarawiyyin Library, Fez, Morocco, one of the oldest libraries in the world
Photo: abdozaghloul/Shutterstock
Morocco’s University of Al-Qarawiyyin library, located in the ancient city of Fez, was founded in the ninth century, making it one of the oldest libraries in the world. (the university itself holds the Guinness World Record for the oldest existing, and continually operating educational institution in the world.) The Al-Qarawiyyin library underwent much-needed extensive renovations which were completed in 2016. The work included restoring the tilework that covers the walls and floors, as well as installing equipment to preserve the many precious volumes the library houses, including a ninth-century Quran.
How to visit the Al-Qarawiyyin library?
While upon the completion of the renovations it was hoped that the library would be open to everyone, because the complex is also home to a mosque, it is currently only open to Muslim visitors.
Real Gabinete Português de Leitura, Rio de Janeiro, the largest library of works by Portuguese authors outside of Portugal
Photo: Diego Grandi/Shutterstock
The Real Gabinete Português de Leitura, which translates as the Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading, was initially built to be used as the headquarters for the Portuguese cultural centers of Brazil. The impressive library was designed by architect Rafael da Silva e Castro and built between 1880 and 1887 in a style known as neo-Manueline, a Late Gothic architecture of Portugal. It became a public library in 1900. Today, the magnificent shelves of the Royal Portuguese Reading Room house “the largest and most valuable library of works by Portuguese authors outside of Portugal”, including several rare works from the 16th century, the official website says.
How to visit the Real Gabinete Português de Leitura?
The Real Gabinete Português de Leitura is accessible to all, free of charge.
The five best libraries in the US
The Boston Athenaeum, Boston, a National Historic Landmark
Founded in 1807, the Boston Athenaeum is among the oldest and most distinguished independent libraries and cultural institutions in the US. It added an art gallery in 1827, began running yearly exhibitions of American and European art, and by the mid-1800s found itself not only at the center of Boston’s culture scene but also one of the largest libraries in the country. Overlooking the Granary Burying Ground, the final resting place of Paul Revere and Samuel Adams, it currently houses over half a million volumes, many of which focus on Boston history. It also hosts an exhibition program, lectures, and even concerts, and in 1965, it was designated as a National Historic Landmark.
How to visit the Boston Athenaeum?
The Athenaeum is a membership-only library with annual membership fees starting at $325, and day membership fees of $40, but it’s open to the public. A self-guided tour of the gallery exhibition, art and special collections installations, and the first floor of the library costs $10. Guided tours are available for groups.
Library of Congress, Washington, DC, the world’s largest library
Photo: Sean Pavone/Shutterstock
The Library of Congress consists of three buildings located on Capitol Hill: the Thomas Jefferson Building, the James Madison Memorial Building, and the John Adams Building. All three buildings house a total of 173 million items, including 51 million books and 5.6 million maps. The most impressive of all three buildings is the Italian
Renaissance-style Thomas Jefferson Building completed in 1897. The Main Reading Room, located on the second floor, is the highlight of the library. The first floor is home to the library’s most prized possession: The Gutenberg Bible dating back to the mid-1450s.
How to visit the Thomas Jefferson Building?
You need to book a free timed-entry tickets online to access the Thomas Jefferson Building. Make sure to check out the opening hours for the Main Reading Room before you book your ticket as they might differ from the building’s opening hours.
The Boston Public Library, Boston, the first large free municipal library in the United States
Photo: eskystudio/Shutterstock
The Boston Public Library consists of 25 branches across the city, but the one you want to visit is the Central Library in Copley Square. The Central Library is comprised of two buildings, the McKim building, completed in 1895 and a National Historic Landmark since 1986, and the Boylston Street Building opened in 1972. The McKim building is the most beautiful of the two, and Bates Hall, the gorgeous reading room located on the second floor, is the highlight of this magnificent library.
How to visit the Central Library in Copley Square, Boston?
The library is open daily and entrance is free for all. Free Art & Architecture public tours are offered six times per week on a first come, first served basis.
The Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, New Haven, one the world’s largest library devoted to rare books and manuscripts
Photo: Jose L Vilchez/Shutterstock
Part of Yale Unversity Library, the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, with its simple yet striking geometric exterior, opened in 1963. To protect the rare volumes inside, instead of glass windows, the entire building features square panels of very thin marble that filters the light gently. Of course, that means that the interior of the library is very dark and atmospheric. Visible upon entering, a six-storey glass tower of books makes the core of the building. At the mezzanine level, visitors can admire some of the most prestigious books in the library’s collections, including the Gutenberg Bible and Audubon’s Birds of America.
How to visit the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library?
The Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library is open to all, for free, during regular hours of operation.
The Seattle Public Library, Seattle, an architectural gem of massive proportions
Photo: Stephanie Braconnier/Shutterstock
The Seattle Public Library has 27 locations, the most striking of which is the Central Library. Opened in 2004, the Central Library is as impressive from the outside as from the inside. The exterior is angular, like a roughly cut diamond, and principally made of glass and steel. Inside, it’s immense: 11 light-filled floors home to a book spiral and a 275-seat auditorium, among many other spaces.
How to visit the Central Library in Seattle?
The Central Library in Seattle is open to all, for free, during regular hours of operation.
What is the oldest library in the world?
Both the library at St. Catherine’s Monastery in Egypt and the Al-Qarawiyyin Library in Fez, Morocco, claim to be the world’s oldest library. However, according to the Guinness Book of Records, it is the library at St. Catherine’s Monastery, located in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula that is officially the oldest library still in operation. Morocco’s University of Al-Qarawiyyin, of which the library is part, holds the Guinness World Record for the oldest existing, and continually operating educational institution in the world.
What library has the most rare books?
The Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library in New Haven, Connecticut, houses more than one million books, and millions of other printed materials and objects, making it the largest repository of rare books in the world. The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library in Toronto, Canada, holds around 700,000 volumes. 