The Central Library is a 10-minute walk from the St. Louis Union Station Hotel. Parking information for the Central Library is available here: https://www.slpl.org/central-library-parking/.
The tour lasts approximately one hour; it departs from the large wooden desk in the Great Hall. The Central Library is accessible and meets ADA standards.
St. Louis Public Library’s Central Library boasts some of the finest examples of Beaux-Arts and Neo-Classical Architecture in the United States. Designed by renowned architect Cass Gilbert and completed in 1912, the structure which occupies a full city block is a historic treasure. Exquisite replicas of features from the Pantheon, Vatican and Michelangelo’s Laurentian Library bring the Italian Renaissance to life in the heart of downtown St. Louis. An extensive $70 million award-winning renovation of Central Library led by George Nikolajevich with Cannon Design was completed in 2012, and showcases a masterful blend of classical and modern architectural styles while preserving Central Library’s unparalleled beauty for generations to come.
