Art & Architecture Tours at the Central Library

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

Public Art & Architecture tours are free of charge and run at the following times:

Mondays at 2:00 pm
Tuesdays at 2:00 pm
Thursdays at 6:00 pm
Fridays at 11:00 am
Saturdays at 11:00 am

Tours last approximately one hour and start in the McKim Building Vestibule, just through the Dartmouth Street entrance. Tours are subject to guide availability.

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.

Interested in joining a public tour?

Public tours are currently limited to 25 people per tour guide, and we ask that individual parties larger than five people refrain from joining the public tours so as not to overcrowd the group.

We do not take reservations. To claim your spot on the tour, when you arrive at the library, head to the McKim Building Welcome Desk (which is right through the library entrance on Dartmouth Street). There, a staff member can give you and each member of your party a sticker to wear to signify you as a member of the tour group. Staff will start handing these stickers out an hour before the tour starts, and on a first-come, first-served basis.

We are not currently accepting requests for future private tours. As unauthorized guides are not permitted to lead tours on BPL premises, patrons may refer to the “Visiting on Your Own” section below.

If you are a teacher or professor planning to bring your students for a self-guided Art & Architecture tour of the Central Library, please contact the Tours office at tours@bpl.org or 617.859.2216 to register your group (please allow a minimum of 3 weeks before your planned tour). Any student group attending a private tour must provide one adult chaperone per 10 students. The tour material is currently recommended for middle-school age and above.

School groups seeking a tour of the library's collections and/or services for students should contact the Children's Library, Teen Central, or the Research Services Department.

For groups that are interested in a visit to the Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center, please visit their website.

Please note that unauthorized guides are not permitted to lead tours in the library. All group tours must be led by an approved BPL-trained guide or staff member. For information and policies on groups, please contact tours@bpl.org or 617.859.2216. The following guide is available to those experiencing the Central Library's art and architecture outside of a group:

Art & Architecture of the Central Library in Copley Square (Virtual Booklet)

Free printed booklets are available on-site for patrons. For more information about art and architectural points of interest in the Central Library, please visit our art & architecture page.

General Building Resources:

• Handbook of the New Public Library in Boston (1895)
• A Handbook to the Art and Architecture of the Boston Public Library
• An Index to the Persons Commemorated by Inscriptions or Works of Art in the Central Library Building of the Boston Public Library by Frank N. Jones (in the BPL catalog)

The McKim Building has Art & Architecture points of interest across three public floors. Every floor is reachable by elevator if you are not able to use the stairs. The Dartmouth Street (McKim Building) and Boylston Street (Boylston Street Building) entrances are both accessible. If you are unable to bring your own wheelchair or have any questions about accessibility while exploring the building, please email tours@bpl.org or call 617.859.2216.

For more information about the program requirements and the responsibilities of volunteer Art & Architecture tour guides, please refer to the position overview (PDF). While we are not currently recruiting volunteer Art & Architecture tour guides, you are welcome to submit an application for consideration in the future. Interested candidates should complete the application (PDF) and send to tours@bpl.org or Tour Guide Program, Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116. Please contact volunteer@bpl.org or call 617.859.2304 if you have an questions.