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Boston Public Library Tours | Visitor's Information

The Boston Public Library is a gem of architectural design in Boston and the best way to visit it is with one of their Free Art and Architecture Tours.

Getting to the Boston Public Library

Boston Public Library Tours

• What To Do Nearby
• Free Tours by Foot Boston

Be sure to look into other Things To Do in Boston while you're visiting! Our post has kid and budget friendly suggestions, as well as the top things attractions and Boston must-sees.

The BPL is located at 700 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02116.

The closest T (subway) station is Back Back, from where it's only a 3 minute walk.

For general visits or just to take a peek inside, the Boston Public Library is open:

Monday-Thursday 9am-8pm

Friday and Saturday 9am-5pm

Sunday 11am-5pm 

Boston Public Library (BPL) offers free Art and Architecture Tours , which are designed to highlight the beautiful library and surrounding area, as well as the important artwork in and around the library. 

This is a great way to get to know one of Boston’s most famous buildings, and it’s free!  

When the BPL was first opened it was touted as a "Palace for the People" with lavish decorations and lots of public art, including a mural by John Singer Sargent.  

The BPL has the country's first children's room, and has a central courtyard that resembles a Renaissance cloister.  It is truly one of Boston most spectacular and generally unappreciated public buildings!

Guests can expect to see the architecture of its famed Central Library buildings by Charles Follen McKim and Philip Johnson as well as the art treasures within, including works by Daniel Chester French and John Singer Sargent.

Details : The Art and Architecture tours are offered every day at different times:

• Mondays at 2:00 p.m.
• Tuesdays at 2:00 p.m.
• Thursday at 6:00 p.m.
• Fridays at 11:00 a.m.
• Saturdays at 11:00 a.m.

Please see the library's scheduled holiday observances : tours will not occur on these dates.

The number for general tours inquiries is 617-859-2216.  There are no reservations required for their free public tours, but individual parties of 8 or more people are asked to book a separate private tour with at least four weeks’ notice.

Tours begin in the McKim Vestibule off the Dartmouth Street entrance.

What to Do Near the Boston Public Library

There is so much to do in the Back Bay area of the city that it’s a great excuse to spend the day there, explore the shopping and dining on Newbury Street; check out the Prudential and John Hancock Buildings, Boston’s 2 tallest buildings; stroll down residential Marlborough Street and head to the Boston Common. 

With Beacon Hill and the Boston Common on one end and the Symphony Hall (which also offers free tours), Northeastern University and the Museum of Fine Arts on the other end, the Back Bay is one of Boston’s most active and exciting areas.

In fact, why not make a day of it and take our Back Bay Tour for an in-depth look at the whole area.  Our tour is offered every Tuesday at 10am, and lasts an hour and a half.  

It begins on the steps of the library and concludes at the Common, leaving you plenty of time to explore, eat and sightsee before heading back to the library for their Art and Architecture tour at 6pm.  

Here are a couple of food ideas in the area - The BPL has its own Courtyard Restaurant, there is a SweetGreen across the street which offers yummy design-your-own salads, if you're looking for pizza, head to Scoozi on Newbury, or head into the Prudential Building (the Pru, to the locals) and check out their assortment of restaurants and their food court.

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Explore the Boston Public Library’s Art Treasures

See central library’s restored murals on free tour tonight

The Boston Public Library’s central branch, in Copley Square, offers free Art and Architecture tours. Volunteer guides educate visitors about the buildings and the renowned works of art they contain. Photo by Flickr contributor Maciek Lulko

Taylor Raglin (COM’17)

The Boston Public Library is home to an astonishing 23 million items. In addition to books (including the personal library of President John Adams), it houses thousands of rare manuscripts, photographs, maps, musical scores, and prints. Copley Square’s central branch also has magnificent art and architecture treasures. And you can see many of them during daily free guided tours. Tonight’s Art and Architecture tour is at 6 p.m. (Times vary by day; see kicker below.)

The central library comprises two buildings: the original McKim Building, designed by architect Charles Follen McKim, which opened in 1895 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986, and the recently renovated addition by Philip Johnson, opened in 1972 and reopened to the public in fall 2016.

McKim famously described his building as a “palace for the people,” and it is filled with some of the finest architectural details and murals in North America. Tour takers will see Bates Hall, considered one of the most architecturally important rooms in the world. The hall is dominated by a majestic barrel-arched ceiling and an ornately carved limestone balcony and contains busts of famous authors and Bostonians. The room is named for Massachusetts native Joshua Bates, a London banker who gave the city $50,000 for a public library in 1852.

Among other tour highlights are the stunning series of murals by French artist Pierre Puvis de Chavanne that surround the McKim’s grand staircase and second floor gallery. The eight stairway murals represent the main disciplines of poetry, philosophy, and science. The central mural is titled The Muses of Inspiration Hail the Spirit of Light . The recently restored 160-pound Philosophy panel, one of the tour’s most photographed and recognizable stops, has been returned to its alcove in the grand staircase. The restoration has earned the BPL and the conservation team a Preservation Achievement Award from the Boston Preservation Alliance .

The tour includes John Singer Sargent’s collection of murals Triumph of Religion . Installed between 1895 and 1919, the works depict the development of world religions using materials such as plaster, papier-mâché, and metalwork. Singer, best known for his landscapes and portrait paintings, believed his BPL murals to be the most important work of his career.

Fans of the King Arthur legend will be dazzled by The Quest of the Holy Grail , a mural cycle of 15 panels depicting 150 life-sized figures from the Arthurian legend, in the McKim Building’s Abbey Room. The room’s beamed ceiling is modeled on that of the 14th-century Doge’s Palace in Venice.

The hour-long tours are led by trained volunteer guides, but visitors are also welcome to tour the buildings on their own, with printable guides that can be found here .

The BPL Art and Architecture tours, free and open to the public, depart from the McKim Building lobby’s Dartmouth Street entrance on Mondays at 2:30 p.m., Tuesdays at 6 p.m., Wednesdays at 11 a.m., Thursdays at 6 p.m., Fridays at 11 a.m., Saturdays at 11 a.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. Take an MBTA Green Line B, C, D, or E Line trolley to Copley or an MBTA Orange Line to Back Bay.

Taylor Raglin can be reached at [email protected] .

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Art and Architecture Tour at BPL

Where: https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/events/6580b4b3e7f74a2a004790f0 Boston Public Library 700 Boylston Street Boston , MA

Admission: FREE

Categories: Art, Date Idea, Good for Groups, History, Meetup

Event website: https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/events/6580b4b3e7f74a2a004790f0

The landmark Central Library in Copley Square features notable architecture and design components spanning three centuries, as well as significant art and decorative installations. A summary of key points of interest can be found on our  Art & Architecture page .

Regularly scheduled public Art & Architecture tours, led by trained BPL guides, are free and do not require a reservation for parties of five or fewer people. Tours last approximately one hour and start in the McKim Building Vestibule, just through the Dartmouth Street entrance. 

Group sizes will be limited to twenty-five people per guide and are subject to guide availability. To secure a place on a tour, please visit the McKim Welcome Desk any time in the hour leading up to the start time to receive a tour sticker for you and any members of your party. Please note that we are unable to accommodate individual parties larger than five people on these tours.

Unauthorized guides are not permitted to lead tours within the library. When planning your visit, please make note of days when the library will be closed due to  holidays ; inclement weather may also affect opening hours. Information on accessibility and other tour details can be found on  our Tours page .

Accessibility Notice: We strive to make our events accessible. To request a disability accommodation and/or language services, contact the department listed in the "Contact Info" pane on the right. Please allow at least two weeks to arrange accommodation.

All stops on the Art & Architecture tour are wheelchair accessible. To inquire about borrowing a wheelchair, please check in with the security desk (opposite the McKim Welcome Desk) upon your arrival.

Suitable for:

College Students

Older Adults

Teens (Ages 13-18)

Young Adults (Ages 20-34)

Additional Details:

Tours start from the McKim Vestibule (right through the Dartmouth Street entrance).

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Art & Architecture Tours

Take a free tour of the Boston Public Library and learn about its wonderful architecture and glorious art.

• Contact: Boston Public Library
• Price: FREE
• Neighborhood: Back Bay
• Event Type: Learning and lectures Preservation Month
• Posted: 04/26/2017 - 10:15am

Boston Public Library 's daily free tours highlight the architecture of Charles Follen McKim and Philip Johnson, and include art works by many famous artists, including Daniel Chester French and John Singer Sargent.  The daily tour schedule varies, just meet your trained volunteer guide in the vestibule (at Dartmouth Street entrance).