Brooklyn · NYC landmark
Brooklyn Central Library
Grand Army Plaza · Brooklyn, New York City
See the grand entrance, explore the public rooms and follow the library's architecture audio tour.
Save and Boost open this place in the interactive map. An account is needed to save; Boost opens its options before payment.
NYFE Summary
An unfinished wing stood here for more than twenty years after work on an earlier library plan stalled. The replacement design arranged the building like an open book, with its spine facing the plaza and its wings spreading along the two avenues. The entrance has fifteen gilded figures drawn from literature, alongside symbols of the arts and sciences.
Above the lobby is a zinc eagle saved from the former Brooklyn Daily Eagle newspaper headquarters. The library’s self-guided audio tour explains these details and continues to the third floor. Blue plaques mark its six stops, and written transcripts are available.
NYFE summary from the official history and visitor sources linked below.
Plan a visit
Check the operator’s current opening, admission and access information before travelling. Historic status does not guarantee public access to every interior.
Official visitor information ↗