36 Best Sights in USA

Founded in 1800, the largest library in the world has more than 173 million items on approximately 838 miles of bookshelves. Only 51 million of its holdings are books—the library also has 3.6 million recordings, 14 million photographs, 5.5 million maps, 8.1 million pieces of sheet music, and 70 million manuscripts. Also here is the Congressional Research Service, which, as the name implies, works on special projects for senators and representatives.

Opened in 1897, the copper-domed Thomas Jefferson Building is the oldest of the three buildings that make up the library. The dome, topped with the gilt "Flame of Knowledge," is ornate and decorative, with busts of Dante, Goethe, and Nathaniel Hawthorne perched above its entryway. The Court of Neptune, Roland Hinton Perry's fountain at the front steps, rivals some of Rome's best fountains.

The Jefferson Building opens into the Great Hall, richly adorned with mosaics, paintings, and curving marble stairways. The octagonal Main Reading Room, its central desk surrounded by mahogany readers' tables under a 160-foot-high domed ceiling, inspires researchers and readers alike. Computer terminals have replaced card catalogs, but books are still retrieved and dispersed the same way: readers (16 years or older) open a free reader identification card issued by the library, hand request slips to librarians and wait for their materials to be delivered. Researchers aren't allowed in the stacks, and only members of Congress and other special borrowers can check books out. Items from the library's collection—which includes one of only three perfect Gutenberg Bibles in the world—are on display in the Jefferson Building's second-floor Southwest Gallery and Pavilion. Free timed-entry passes are required for entry.

 The Library puts on some amazing exhibits from its vast collection, including musical instruments, early maps, and baseball cards! 

The hub of Seattle's 26-branch library system is a stunning jewel of a building that stands out against the concrete jungle of Downtown. Designed by renowned Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and Joshua Ramus, this 11-story structure houses more than a million books, a language center, terrific areas for kids and teens, hundreds of computers, an auditorium, a "mixing chamber" floor of information desks, and a café. The building's floor plan is anything but simple; stand outside the beveled glass-and-metal facade of the building and you can see the library's floors zigzagging upward. Tours are self-guided via a laminated sheet you can pick up at the information desk; there's also a number you can call on your cell phone for an audio tour. The reading room on the 10th floor has unbeatable views of the city and the water. Readings and free film screenings happen on a regular basis.

Don't miss visiting the Austin Public Library's flagship branch, a striking architectural wonder reflecting the natural beauty of the Hill Country and affording beautiful views of Lady Bird Lake from the landscaped rooftop terrace. Wander through the six-floor structure, free of charge, filled to the brim with modern accoutrements that turn reading into a stimulating experience. There are art galleries, amphitheater seating for concerts and community events, kids' play areas, gaming and computer stations, and hundreds of cozy nooks and crannies to hide away with a book. On-site garage parking is easy to validate inside, and the first-floor gift shop is packed with lovely literary and Austin-centric keepsakes.

One of the oldest libraries in the country, the Athenæum was founded in 1807. Membership in this cathedral of scholarship has been passed down for generations, but it is open in part to the public. Access the first floor overlooking the Granary Burying Ground with a general ticket, or get a day pass for the whole library and the fifth-floor terrace. Art and architecture tours explore the whole building. Among the holdings are most of George Washington's private library, as well as King's Chapel Library, sent from England by William III in 1698. With a nod to the Information Age, an online catalog contains records for more than 600,000 volumes.

This venerable institution is a handsome temple to reading and a valuable research library, as well as an art gallery of sorts, and you don't need a library card to enjoy it. At the main entrance hall of the 1895 Renaissance Revival building, take in the immense stone lions by Louis St. Gaudens, the vaulted ceiling, and the marble staircase. The corridor at the top of the stairs leads to Bates Hall, one of Boston's most sumptuous interior spaces. This is the main reading room, 218 feet long with a barrel vault ceiling 50 feet high. The murals at the head of the staircase, depicting the nine muses, are the work of the French artist Pierre Puvis de Chavannes; those in the room to the right are Edwin Austin Abbey's interpretations of the Holy Grail legend. Upstairs, in the public areas, is John Singer Sargent's mural series Triumph of Religion. The library offers free art and architecture tours. The McKim building contains a Renaissance-style courtyard inspired by Rome's Palazzo della Cancelleria. A covered arcade furnished with chairs rings a fountain; you can bring books or lunch into the peaceful courtyard.

A life-size horse on a 20-foot-tall chair and other sculptures decorate the expansive lawn of this sprawling complex with round towers and tall, oblong windows. The map and manuscript rooms, Gates Western History Reading Room (with amazing views of the mountains), and Schlessman Hall (with its three-story atrium) merit a visit. Built in the mid-1950s, the library houses a world-renowned collection of books, photographs, and newspapers that chronicle the American West, as well as original paintings by Remington, Russell, Audubon, and Bierstadt. The children's library is notable for its captivating design and its unique, child-friendly multimedia computer catalog.

Designed by Moshe Safdie and built in 2003, this spectacular contemporary structure has become the city's cultural center and one of the country's most architecturally noteworthy libraries. Inspired by the Roman Coliseum, it features a six-story walkable wall that serves as both sculpture and function, allowing for great views and a path up the building. From the rooftop garden you get a 360-degree view of the valley and mountains. Hemingway Café (the on-site branch of the Salt Lake Roasting Co. coffeehouse), the outstanding Art at the Main gallery, a handful of shops, a writing center, and a public radio station provide ways to spend the entire day here. Kids can fall in love with reading in the Crystal Cave and Treehouse Room in the huge children's section. Other noteworthy features include a Teen Lounge, an extensive Alternative Press/Zine Collection, and a collection of beehives on the rooftop where visitors can learn about beekeeping and honey harvesting. There are several other libraries in the system, including the Tudor-style Sprague Library that opened in 1928 in the city's popular Sugar House neighborhood.

Founded in 1925 and named a National Historic Landmark in 2017, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is one of the world’s leading cultural institutions devoted to the research, preservation, and exhibition of materials focused on Black, African-diaspora, and African experiences. Established with the collections of Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, this research division of the New York Public Library features diverse programming, including exhibits that draw from a collection of more than 11 million items illuminating the richness of global Black history, arts, and culture. The Photographs and Prints Division houses over 300,000 images that document African culture and history since the 18th century, while the Rare Books Division houses an extraordinary collection of manuscripts and archives available for research purposes. 

The "Library with the Lions," open since 1911, is a masterpiece of Beaux-Arts and one of the world's great research institutions, with a repository for millions of items including books, manuscripts, photographs, maps, periodicals, and more. Dubbed the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building since 2008, the flagship recently underwent a renovation that created more public space for visitors to enjoy, including a new 40th Street entrance, improved infrastructure, and expanded exhibition spaces. Within Gottesman Hall, the free, permanent Polonsky Exhibition of the New York Public Library's Treasures features more than 250 rare and unique items (check the website for details and to see listings for rotating exhibits).

The library's bronze front doors on 5th Avenue open into Astor Hall, which leads to special exhibit galleries and, to the left, a stunning periodicals room. Ascend the double staircase to a second-floor balconied corridor overlooking the hall, with panels highlighting the library's development. Continue up to behold the magisterial Rose Main Reading Room, where natural light pours through the massive windows (the room is open to anyone for quiet study; those just viewing the room must be on a tour). Third-floor galleries show rotating exhibits on print and photography. Free hour-long tours leave Monday–Saturday at 11 and 2, with a reservation.

Across 5th Avenue from the main branch is the central circulating branch known as the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (455 5th Ave.), which completed a major renovation in 2021. There, visitors can see the famous lions built from LEGOs, view an imaginative ceiling installation, and spend time on the free roof terrace overlooking the main branch; and yes, NYPL members can even check out books.

The center houses more than 90,000 cubic feet (or nearly 17 miles) of rare books, collections of papers, and memorabilia related to such subjects as American and Western history, the petroleum industry, conservation movements, transportation, and the performing arts. Permanent and temporary art displays also fill the museum space.

Housed in a national landmark Italianate Revival brownstone built in the mid–19th century, the Athenaeum is a research library specializing in architectural history and design with a collection that features millions of items. The library, founded in 1814, was refurbished in 2022 and contains significant materials on the French in America and on early American travel, exploration, and transportation. Besides books, the Athenaeum has notable paintings and period furniture; changing exhibits are presented in the gallery. Research is by appointment only.

An extension of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library, this unit houses a noncirculating collection of about 60,000 books of African American interest. The archives contain art and artifacts, transcribed oral histories, and rare books, pamphlets, and periodicals. There are three galleries with rotating exhibits, and frequent special events, all of them free.

Located in the beautiful, historic Central Library building across from Wooldridge Square, the Austin History Center, part of the public library system, serves as the central repository for historical documents and photographs related to Austin. It houses a priceless collection of items, including over a million photographic images. It's worth stopping by to view one of their annual large-scale exhibits, which feature different themes relating to local Austin history and are free to the public.

The library's collection of literary papers, early manuscripts, and rare books include a Gutenberg Bible and original Audubon bird prints; the exhibition spaces on the ground floor and mezzanine are open to the public. The building that houses them is an attraction in its own right: the walls are made of marble cut so thin that the light shines through, making the interior a breathtaking sight on sunny days. Introductory tours for individuals are offered on Saturday afternoons; group tours are Yale-led and require advance registration at the Yale Visitor Information Center.

Even if you don't have a library card, it's worth browsing the beautiful neoclassical building built in 1916 with funding from a Carnegie grant. The grand foyer and revolving exhibits are nourishment for the senses, and the massive windowed reading lounge and third-story alcove are wonderful places to curl up with a book.

Nashville’s role in the civil rights movement comes alive in this interactive display inside the library’s main branch. Explore the ways Black Nashvillians protested segregation, challenged racist laws, and contributed to the nationwide fight for equality through the library’s time lines, archival materials, and photos.

A city landmark that offers a little something for history buffs, architecture fans, and public-art lovers alike, this 1914 library was the first to be funded entirely by the city. It also houses one of the largest collections of African American literature and history on the West Coast, including a dynamic collection of Black and social justice-focused childrens books. Local artists Marita Dingus and Vivian Linder created sculptures and three-dimensional relief panels for the branch, which can be seen in the spacious corridor connecting the two buildings. Paintings of former slaves and abolitionists Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth by artist Eddie Ray Walker are also on display. Don't miss the recently restored Soul Pole, a totem pole depicting African American history, located outside on the grassy area on the corner of 23rd Avenue and East Yesler Way.

This four-story library houses the world's largest collection of genealogical data, including books, maps, and census information. Mormons and non-Mormons alike come here to research their family history.

This Elizabethan monument, a white-marble art deco building decorated with sculpted bas-relief scenes from the Bard's plays, was designed by architect Paul Philippe Cret and dedicated in 1932. Inside, the design is Tudor England with oak paneling, high plaster ceilings, and ornamental floor tiles. Henry Clay Folger, the library's founder, personally selected the inscriptions by and about Shakespeare that are found throughout the property. Rare items and interactive displays fill two stunning exhibition halls spanning the length of the building, including a gallery displaying all 82 of the library's Shakespeare First Folios. Terra-cotta floor tiles feature titles of Shakespeare's plays and the masks of comedy and tragedy. A First Folio of Shakespeare is always on view and may be thumbed through here digitally.

Visitors are greeted at the entrance to the Elizabethan theater with a marble statue of Puck from A Midsummer Night's Dream. With its overhead canopy representing the sky, wooden balconies, and oak columns, the theater is a reproduction of a 16th-century inn-yard playhouse. This is the site for performances of Shakespearean plays, chamber music, readings, lectures, and family programs; check the website for a calendar of events. Understandably, the collection of works by and about Shakespeare and his times is second to none, and the historic Reading Room is devoted to scholarly research. A manicured Elizabethan garden at the building's east end is open to the public, and the gift shop contains many collectibles featuring the Bard and English theater.

The library is closed for renovation, with plans to reopen in late fall 2023. Performances and other events will take place at other venues in Washington, D.C.

Known as a “cathedral of books,” the five-story reading room is consistently listed among the world’s most beautiful libraries. Designed by Edmund Lind, it opened to the public in 1878. Its gilded framework of cast iron and gold showcases more than 300,000 volumes printed from the 15th to the 19th centuries in the areas of archaeology, architecture, history, literature, travel, and art.

Opened in 1991 and named for Chicago's first African American mayor, this library was primarily designed by architect Thomas Beeby, of Hammond, Beeby & Babka. Gargantuan and almost goofy, the granite-and-brick edifice is a uniquely postmodern homage to Chicago's great architectural past. The heavy, rusticated ground level recalls The Rookery; the stepped-back, arched windows are a reference to the great arches in the Auditorium Theatre; the swirling terra-cotta design is pinched from the Marquette Building; and the glass curtain wall on the west side is a nod to 1950s modernism. The huge, gargoyle-like sculptures atop the building include owls, a symbol of wisdom. The excellent Children's Library, an 18,000-square-foot haven on the second floor, has vibrant wall-mounted figures by Chicago imagist Karl Wirsum. Works by noted Chicago artists are displayed along a second-floor walkway above the main lobby. There's also an impressive Winter Garden with skylights on the ninth floor. Free programs and performances are offered regularly.

The Samuel Manaiakalani Kamakau Room, on the first floor in the library's mauka (Hawaiian for "mountain") courtyard, houses an extensive Hawaii and Pacific book collection and pays tribute to Kamakau, a missionary student whose 19th-century writings in English offer rare and vital insight into traditional Hawaiian culture.This beautifully renovated main library was built in 1913.

The library, behind the post office, has two ancient petroglyphs out front and is home to a large collection of Alaskan books and computers with free Internet access.

This complex occupies the site where Union general William T. Sherman orchestrated the Battle of Atlanta (1864). The museum and archives detail the political career of former president Jimmy Carter. The adjacent Carter Center, which is not open to the public, focuses on conflict resolution and human-rights issues. Outside, the Japanese-style garden is a serene spot to unwind.

Built in 1910 and named for Abraham Lincoln's secretary, "the Hay" houses Brown University Library's collections of rare books and manuscripts. World-class collections of Lincoln-related items, H. P. Lovecraft letters, Napoléon's death mask, Walt Whitman's personal copy of Leaves of Grass, and 6,000 toy soldiers are of particular interest. The library is open to the public from 9 am to 5 pm, but you need a photo ID to enter.

Check out the pretty palm garden next to the Key West Library, just off Duval Street. This leafy, outdoor reading area, with shaded benches, is the perfect place to escape the frenzy and crowds of Old Town. There's free Internet access in the library, too.

The nation's third-largest public library, the handsome Los Angeles Central Library was designed in 1926 by Bertram Goodhue. Restored to their pristine condition, a pyramid tower and a torch symbolizing the "light of learning" crown the building. The Cook rotunda on the second floor features murals by Dean Cornwell depicting the history of California, and the Tom Bradley Wing, named for a famed L.A. mayor, has a soaring eight-story atrium.

The library offers frequent special exhibits, and don't ignore the gift shop, which is loaded with unique items for readers and writers. Free art and architecture tours are offered Friday at 12:30, Saturday at 11, and Sunday at 2. An Art-in-the-Garden tour happens once a month on Saturday at 12:30 pm. A self-guided tour map is also available on the library's website.

One of the largest single collections by and about an American woman is housed at this library, which also includes temporary exhibits that celebrate the power of ideas and provide context to the life and achievements of Mary Baker Eddy (1821–1910); there's a research room on the fourth floor that's open Monday through Thursday.

The library also serves as the welcome center for the entire 14-acre Christian Science Plaza and is home to the fascinating Mapparium, a huge stained-glass globe with a 30-foot interior exhibit that captures a moment in time in 1935. While the Mapparium requires tickets, the adjacent free and interactive "How Do You See the World?" experience brings together stories, artifacts, and panels on Eddy's inspired scriptural study and research and how it relates to modern-day life. Exhibit cases feature objects, books, and documents from the library’s collections, where you can explore how Mary Baker Eddy founded a church and a college, and at the age of 87, launched the Christian Science Monitor newspaper.

The first historical society in the United States (founded in 1791) has paintings, a library, and a 12-million-piece manuscript collection from 17th-century New England to the present. Among these manuscripts are the Adams Family Papers, which comprise more than 300,000 pages from the letters and diaries of generations of the Adams family, including papers from John Adams and John Quincy Adams. Casual visitors are welcome, but if you'd like to examine the papers within the library in depth, call ahead. The Society also offers a variety of programs and special exhibits.

This former private house serves as the most elegant public library in New Orleans. Built in 1907, the Italianate Beaux-Arts mansion was once the home of the silent-movie star Marguerite Clark. The Latter family bought it and donated it to the city as a library in 1948 in memory of their son, who was killed in World War II. An extensive renovation restored the home to its former grandeur.