Boston Public Library Central Library

The Boston Public Library was enabled by state law in 1848 and established by city ordinance in 1852. Its Central Library stands at Copley Square and is made up of two connected buildings. The McKim Building, designed by Charles Follen McKim of McKim, Mead and White and completed in 1895, is the original; the Johnson Building on Boylston Street, designed by Philip Johnson, opened in 1972.

For visitors, the McKim Building is the draw. Its great reading room, Bates Hall, is a working library space, so look in quietly while people study. The building's courtyard, which has been part of the design since it opened, is a calm place to sit in the middle of Back Bay, and the library also hosts concerts and other events in its outdoor spaces. The Norman B. Leventhal Map and Education Center holds exhibitions drawn from the library's map collections; its gallery is closed until 30 October 2026 apart from preview days.

The Central Library is open from 9am to 8pm Monday to Thursday, 9am to 5pm on Friday and Saturday, and 11am to 5pm on Sunday. Entry is free, and the library runs art and architecture tours, which are a good way to learn about the building's history; check the tours page for current times. The library closes on Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day and closes early on some holiday eves.

It is a worthwhile stop for architecture lovers, readers and anyone who wants a free, indoor break between Back Bay sights. Families can use the Children's Library, which keeps the same hours as the main building, and the Central Library also houses Teen Central, a Community Learning Center and the Kirstein Business Library and Innovation Center, so it is very much a working public building rather than a museum. Allow 45 minutes to an hour for a look around, longer if you join a tour.

Copley station on the Green Line serves the library. The library sits in the middle of Back Bay, so it combines easily with View Boston at the Prudential Center on the same stretch of Boylston Street, and with the shops and cafés of the surrounding streets. Special Collections can be visited by appointment if you have a research interest.