Los Angeles Central Library
Los Angeles Central Library
4.5
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Sunday
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
About
Restored, historic library with Egyptian influenced architecture.
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The area
Address
Neighborhood: Downtown
Downtown Los Angeles is a busy metropolis of towering buildings, bustling streets, and industrial warehouses. There is a distinct multiplicity of cultures here with a growing influx of business professionals and hipsters. Many call the evolution of Downtown over recent years gentrification. New lofts, bars, hotels and restaurants are popping up regularly. Downtown is home to some of the very best restaurants in the city leading the LA foodie scene, plus it is the location of cultural and sports venues including the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Staples Center, and the Coliseum at the University of Southern California.
How to get there
- Pershing Square • 5 min walk
- 7th St/Metro Center • 5 min walk
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
2,619 within 3 miles
Attractions
716 within 6 miles
See what travelers are saying
- LeillaParis, France100 contributionsGreat discoveryLocated right next to our hotel we discovered this place… nice welcome to the teen section, we were offered bags. The young woman was very friendly to us who came from France… thank you for your kindness we will come back. 😉Visited February 2024Traveled with familyWritten February 22, 2024
- knowsnyc890 contributionsDo go in!The building is huge and immaculate. There is a great shop on the first floor. Take the escalator up to 2. The rotunda has murals atop the walls and across the ceiling. Then turn left and enter the vast children’s room. More murals. A very friendly librarian answered all our questions. Recommend this.Visited March 2024Traveled with friendsWritten March 6, 2024
- YanJing JiangShanghai, China25 contributionsA good library worth visitingLos Angeles Public Library is one of the historical buildings in the Los Angeles, it has many kinds of books in the library. It also has a lot of audio DVD in it, too. The staffs and readers in the library are very nice and friendly. It is a good place to visit.Visited March 2024Traveled with familyWritten March 13, 2024
- Claire M1 contributionLos Angeles Central Library: a treasureThis is a beautiful building that is a true Los Angeles treasure. There are more books shelved there than could be read in a lifetime. And the architecture is inspiring. If I had been taken to this library as a child I would have thought I was in heaven. There are tours of the library and the gardens as well. We will be going back!Visited September 2024Traveled with familyWritten September 15, 2024
- jehenson81Washington DC, District of Columbia25,938 contributionsStrikingWhen I was walking around downtown LA, I was pleasantly surprised when I stumbled upon the Central Library. It is a striking building with a mix of Art Deco and Baroque architectures. It is very different from the rest of the buildings in the area. After doing some research about it, I discovered it has an interesting history, including two fires in 1986 which destroyed about 20% of their collection. All the same, the exterior is gorgeous and well-maintained. Well worth a stop if you are in the downtown area.Visited September 2024Traveled soloWritten October 2, 2024
- SeeTheW0rld62Sunnyvale, California2,385 contributionsBeautiful!I had been wanting to take the docent tour at LA Central Library for several years and finally had the chance to. The art in the old and new library buildings is beautiful. What a gem! It's like visiting a museum. The docent who led our tour was very knowledgeable and shared many interesting facts.Visited November 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten November 3, 2024
- SusanPerthPerth, Australia190 contributionsA Worthwhile OutingHaving walked past the LA Library serval times we decided to venture in. What a great decision. It was the highlight of our time in downtown LA and it didn't cost anything. We noticed a tour advertised for later in the morning but never expected to stay long enough to join it. There was so much to see and we happily joined the Architectural and Art Tour, advertised to last 1.5 hours. The tour ran overtime, however, most of the group were still there because Tom, our docent, was absolutely outstanding. I wonder how many residents of LA know how much this library has to offer. Leave some extra time to see some of the other galleries. There was an exhibit on USA patents and another on inventions by prisoners. We spent about 2.5 hours at the library and didn't cover all of it. They also offer a Garden and Art Tour.Visited October 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten December 7, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
441 reviews
Excellent
268
Very good
134
Average
31
Poor
4
Terrible
4
allthegirls2014
Naples, FL130 contributions
Apr 2023 • Solo
I came after reading "The Library Book" by Susan Orlean, which I highly recommend. It tells the story of this library, including its early years, its devastating fires and many other fascinating details. I walked over in an early evening and wandered up to the fiction section. The lovely librarian handed me a self-guided tour booklet (highly recommended) and off I went. Beautiful architecture, lovely surrounding gardens and sculptures and meaningful symbolic-laden artwork throughout, both from the original building and from the rebuild after the fire. What a gem of a place and I felt privileged to see it and privileged that my mom always took me to libraries as a child.
Written May 24, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Elina Michaelidou
London, UK703 contributions
May 2023 • Couples
Interesting place to visit while exploring Downtown LA. The building has a long history and some nice bits of architecture. We visited it primarily to see the rotunda which was very impressive. To find it we went up to the second floor. We didn't have to register as guests, we just walked in. In addition, the escalators area had some nice installations hung from the ceiling and we even came across a few interesting exhibitions while we were there.
Written July 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mmgsc100
Tampa, FL136 contributions
Sep 2023 • Solo
A beautiful building! I had the chance to visit recently, and while I couldn't check anything out (out of state) just looking around was a treat! Escalators take you to the various floors, which are organized by topic. The garden out front and the artwork inside was very nice to see in the middle of a large city - no admission charge! The rotunda was a surprise to me - I wasn't expecting it. Worth a walk-through, even if you can't take the time to read a book.
Written September 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Traveler61248101142
1 contribution
Aug 2023 • Family
The library has pretty much any book you're looking for and the librarians are well-informed. However, the homeless have taken over the library, there is a terrible stench of BO and urine and the wooden private workstations are all taken up by the homeless taking naps. I do not recommend visiting alone if you're a woman, and if you decide to visit with children keep a close eye on them. Most of the homeless I saw were primarily men.
Written August 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Elliott
Los Angeles, CA138 contributions
Jan 2022
This library was built in 2 stages; the older is worth exploring for its architecture and design but the newer is less interesting. There are walking tours nearby that can teach about the history, so they're definitely worth taking to make the most of visiting this space. Make sure you check out the children's section - it's the most interesting room.
Written April 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mary B
Los Angeles, CA12 contributions
Mar 2019
This is in the heart of downtown. There are some small fountains and statues that are quite nice to look at. There is no nearby parking so you will have to drive around and maybe park a few blocks away.
You also have to go through a metal detector to get in but once that is done its a brave new world. There is the remnants of a cafeteria style eating place but there are no open places serving food.
There is also a library gift shop. Yes a gift shop that sells books, post cards, and novelty items related to the library.
There are three floors and on the second is a beautiful mural about California's history and culture. The mural extends to the children's book section and the art work is something to behold.
They do offer tours which I would recommend just because there is so much to see. Also you can rent books, movies, and audio books. You must have an LA identification and mail to prove your residency.
You also have to go through a metal detector to get in but once that is done its a brave new world. There is the remnants of a cafeteria style eating place but there are no open places serving food.
There is also a library gift shop. Yes a gift shop that sells books, post cards, and novelty items related to the library.
There are three floors and on the second is a beautiful mural about California's history and culture. The mural extends to the children's book section and the art work is something to behold.
They do offer tours which I would recommend just because there is so much to see. Also you can rent books, movies, and audio books. You must have an LA identification and mail to prove your residency.
Written February 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Izzy
12 contributions
Jun 2019
There's something for everyone in this building. The architecture, aesthetics and design of the building blow you away. There's something for everyone to do and each of the floors caters to a different audience. Take a stroll through the library and get lost. You won't be disappointed!
Written May 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
crunch6
Northbrook, IL728 contributions
Feb 2020
Make sure to take a tour of this amazing library with so much history. See the beautiful murals and the ceiling in the children's library. The gift shop has a great selection of items including The Library Book, which you should read after your tour.
Written February 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KodoDrummer
Buenos Aires, Argentina70,639 contributions
Aug 2019
We took a walk through sections of the library. It seems well organized and contains an excellent collection of books. Unlike many newer buildings, it is a beautiful older building, with elegant architecture.
Written August 7, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tina Davidova
Tyumen, Russia18 contributions
May 2019 • Friends
For me as a book lover it was just a dream <3 . The library was in my bucketlist and should be visited in any case :D
Written July 2, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Go to the central library website, click on Events, and then click on Exhibits.
Written April 13, 2019
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