🏢 Hennepin County Library — Minneapolis, Minnesota

Washburn Library

A mid-century modern branch in southwest Minneapolis named for a milling pioneer, Washburn Library opened to an immediate stampede — it circulated more books in its first year than any other branch in the city.

📖 About Washburn Library

Washburn Library is at 5244 Lyndale Avenue South in southwest Minneapolis. The current building opened in September 1970 and was designed by architect Brooks Cavin, who had studied under Walter Gropius and Eero Saarinen, giving the branch its mid-century modern character. It is named for William D. Washburn, a U.S. Senator and a founder of the Washburn-Crosby Milling Company, the flour firm that grew into General Mills. The library was an immediate success, circulating some 273,000 books in its first year — more than any other Minneapolis branch at the time. It was expanded in 1990 and modernized again in 2014, when open floor plans, updated technology, and public art were added. A millstone from the historic Washburn-Crosby flour mill stands outside as a nod to the city's milling heritage.

⭐ What makes this branch special

• Designed by Brooks Cavin, a student of Walter Gropius and Eero Saarinen, in a mid-century modern style
• Named for William D. Washburn, U.S. Senator and co-founder of the milling company that became General Mills
• Circulated about 273,000 books in its first year — the highest of any Minneapolis branch at the time
• A millstone from the original Washburn-Crosby flour mill is displayed outside the entrance

📱 Free with a Hennepin County Library Card

Any Minnesota resident can get a library card free and unlock:

📍 More Hennepin County Library branches

← All Minneapolis libraries  ·  All Minnesota →

❓ Frequently Asked Questions