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Boston Public Library, Central Library

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 Boston, 02116

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Call: +1 617-536-5400
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The Central Library in Copley Square is the headquarters of the Boston Public Library, which was established in 1848 as the first large free municipal library in the United States. Its McKim Building, completed in 1895 by the architect Charles Follen McKim as a "palace for the people," was designated a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service in 1986, which cited it as the first outstanding example of Renaissance Beaux-Arts Classicism in America.

It is free and open to everyone during library hours, which makes it one of the best-value stops in the Back Bay for architecture and art lovers, first-time visitors working through Copley Square, and families looking for a rainy-day hour. The library fills a city block at 700 Boylston Street. The Boylston Street Building's main entrance is at sidewalk level, while the McKim Building's entrance on Dartmouth Street sits eight steps up, with ramps to the left.

The McKim Building

Inside are mural series by John Singer Sargent, Edwin Austin Abbey and Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, works by other sculptors and painters, and a quiet inner courtyard. Bates Hall, the reading room on the second floor, is named for Joshua Bates, a London banker born in Weymouth, Massachusetts, who in 1852 gave $50,000 to found the library and another $50,000 for books, asking that its services be "free to all." A restoration of the building ran from 1991 to 2002 and included the courtyard.

The Boylston Street Building

Philip Johnson's 1972 addition kept the McKim roof line and used Milford granite to match, and the two buildings together make up nearly one million square feet. A renovation by William Rawn Associates, finished in 2016, opened it to the street and added a Children's Library, Teen Central, a business library and innovation center, a lecture hall, a café and a satellite news bureau and studio for GBH.

Seeing it with a guide

Staff-led public tours of the Central Library run weekly and require advance registration, which opens up to a month ahead. To explore alone, the Boston Public Library guide in the Bloomberg Connects app includes a 30-minute audio tour with transcripts that translate into more than 40 languages. Only BPL guides may lead tours inside; commercial tour companies are not allowed to operate on library property.

Tea, cocktails and coffee

Three venues inside the library are run by The Catered Affair.

Courtyard Tea Room, in the McKim Building, serves afternoon tea with tea sandwiches, sweets and scones.

Map Room Lounge, also in the McKim Building, bills itself as Boston's first tea-infused cocktail lounge, with seasonal shareable plates and cocktails.

Newsfeed Café serves locally roasted coffee, teas, sandwiches and pastries made each morning, beside GBH's satellite studio and its news tickers.

Sources: Central Library in Copley Square, BPL history, Art and Architecture Tours, accessibility, parking, cafés and restaurants. Checked September 30, 2026.

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Contact Information

Company Name
Boston Public Library, Central Library
Phone Number
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Call: +1 617-536-5400
Location
700 Boylston Street
Boston, 02116
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About Boston Public Library, Central Library

Quick answer: Boston Public Library, Central Library is a library at 700 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116. Free to enter: Charles McKim's 1895 library on Copley Square, with Bates Hall, Sargent and Abbey murals, a courtyard and weekly guided tours.

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The Central Library in Copley Square is the headquarters of the Boston Public Library, which was established in 1848 as the first large free municipal library in the United States. Its McKim Building, completed in 1895 by the architect Charles Follen McKim as a "palace for the people," was designated a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service in 1986, which cited it as the first outstanding example of Renaissance Beaux-Arts Classicism in America.

It is free and open to everyone during library hours, which makes it one of the best-value stops in the Back Bay for architecture and art lovers, first-time visitors working through Copley Square, and families looking for a rainy-day hour. The library fills a city block at 700 Boylston Street. The Boylston Street Building's main entrance is at sidewalk level, while the McKim Building's entrance on Dartmouth Street sits eight steps up, with ramps to the left.

The McKim Building

Inside are mural series by John Singer Sargent, Edwin Austin Abbey and Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, works by other sculptors and painters, and a quiet inner courtyard. Bates Hall, the reading room on the second floor, is named for Joshua Bates, a London banker born in Weymouth, Massachusetts, who in 1852 gave $50,000 to found the library and another $50,000 for books, asking that its services be "free to all." A restoration of the building ran from 1991 to 2002 and included the courtyard.

The Boylston Street Building

Philip Johnson's 1972 addition kept the McKim roof line and used Milford granite to match, and the two buildings together make up nearly one million square feet. A renovation by William Rawn Associates, finished in 2016, opened it to the street and added a Children's Library, Teen Central, a business library and innovation center, a lecture hall, a café and a satellite news bureau and studio for GBH.

Seeing it with a guide

Staff-led public tours of the Central Library run weekly and require advance registration, which opens up to a month ahead. To explore alone, the Boston Public Library guide in the Bloomberg Connects app includes a 30-minute audio tour with transcripts that translate into more than 40 languages. Only BPL guides may lead tours inside; commercial tour companies are not allowed to operate on library property.

Tea, cocktails and coffee

Three venues inside the library are run by The Catered Affair.

Courtyard Tea Room, in the McKim Building, serves afternoon tea with tea sandwiches, sweets and scones.

Map Room Lounge, also in the McKim Building, bills itself as Boston's first tea-infused cocktail lounge, with seasonal shareable plates and cocktails.

Newsfeed Café serves locally roasted coffee, teas, sandwiches and pastries made each morning, beside GBH's satellite studio and its news tickers.

Sources: Central Library in Copley Square, BPL history, Art and Architecture Tours, accessibility, parking, cafés and restaurants. Checked September 30, 2026.

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Phone: +1 617-536-5400

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What are the Central Library's hours?+
Monday to Thursday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Some departments, such as Special Collections and the Leventhal Map & Education Center gallery, keep shorter hours.
Q. Does it cost anything to visit the Boston Public Library?+
No. The Central Library is free and open to the public, and visitors are welcome to explore on their own during open hours.
Q. Are there guided tours?+
Yes. Public guided tours run weekly and require advance registration, which opens up to one month ahead on the library's Art & Architecture Tours page. A free self-guided audio tour is available in the Bloomberg Connects app.
Q. Can a tour group or class visit?+
Groups larger than 10 are strongly encouraged to register, and groups larger than 30 must register at least one week ahead by emailing visit@bpl.org or calling 617-859-2216. Outside tour guides and commercial tour companies may not lead tours inside the library.
Q. When is the library closed?+
It closes on public holidays, including Indigenous Peoples' Day (October 12, 2026), Veterans Day (November 11), Thanksgiving (November 26) and Christmas Day. On the days before Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day it closes at 5 p.m.
Q. Is the library wheelchair accessible?+
Both buildings are accessible. The main entrance at 700 Boylston Street is at sidewalk level with automatic doors, the McKim entrance on Dartmouth Street has ramps and an automatic door, and elevators in both buildings serve the upper floors.
Q. Is there parking?+
The library has no parking lot of its own. Accessible parking spaces are in front of the Boylston Street entrance, and the library's website maps nearby car, bicycle and motorcycle parking.
Q. Can I see the Special Collections?+
Visitors are welcome in the Special Collections lobby and its display from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday; research in the reading room needs an appointment, made at readingroom.bpl.org.

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