Boston Public Library at Copley Square

A free palace for the people

⏱ 30 minutes to 1 hour👤 All agesFree

Charles McKim's design for the library is Italian Renaissance in spirit, built of pink granite and filled with sculpture and art that were meant to inspire ordinary citizens. The entrance hall opens onto a sweeping marble staircase flanked by stone lions, and the walls above are decorated with murals by Pierre Puvis de Chavannes. On the third floor, John Singer Sargent's large mural cycle, Triumph of Religion, fills a gallery with a complex, sometimes dense, history of belief. These interiors make the library as much a museum as a reading room.

Bates Hall, the main reading room, is the visual highlight, with a long barrel-vaulted ceiling, rows of green-shaded lamps, and tables where Bostonians still read and study. The building's interior courtyard, modeled on an Italian cloister, is a peaceful space with an arcade and a fountain, and a cafe nearby serves lunch and coffee in good weather. Regular tours of the art and architecture are offered, and check the library's website for times and for any restrictions on photography or access in certain rooms.

The library faces Copley Square, which also holds Trinity Church and the John Hancock tower reflected in its glass, so a visit fits easily into a Back Bay walk. The Copley station on the Green Line is a minute away. Because it is a working public library, noise and behavior expectations apply, and some areas may close for events. Weekday mornings are quiet and weekend afternoons are busier. A visit takes as little as thirty minutes if you only see the main hall and courtyard, or an hour or more with a tour.