Morristown & Morris Township Library
🏢 Joint Free Public Library · Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown & Morris Township Library
Founded through informal book-sharing among Morristown residents in 1792 and rebuilt after an 1914 fire in a fireproof 1917 building funded by philanthropist Grinnell Willis, the Morristown & Morris Township Library is one of New Jersey's most historically layered public libraries — its reference room still displays the only surviving piece from the 1920 Morristown Armory fire and an original 1867 Thomas Nast caricature painting.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–9pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–9pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–9pm |
| Thursday | 9am–9pm |
| Friday | 9am–5pm |
| Saturday | 9am–5pm |
| Sunday | 1pm–5pm |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 1 Miller Road, Morristown, NJ 07960
Phone: (973) 538-6161
Website: mmtlibrary.org
Plus Code: 87G7QGVC+FQ (Morristown, NJ)
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👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Morristown & Morris Township Library
The Morristown & Morris Township Library is the joint free public library of Morristown and Morris Township, serving 51,180 square feet of Morris County's historic county seat. Book-sharing in Morristown dates to 1792, the Morristown Library Association was formally organized in 1812, and the library was incorporated in 1866. After the 1914 fire destroyed the old lyceum and 30,000 volumes, retired textile merchant Grinnell Willis funded the current fireproof building at 1 Miller Road, which opened December 13, 1917. The 1987 Dowling Wing doubled the library's size; a 2006 expansion added the Anne and Kenneth Croy Media Center and the North Jersey History and Genealogy Center. Today the library holds blacksmith Samuel Yellin's 1931 fire screen and balcony railings honoring WWI soldiers, and the 7-by-11-foot Thomas Nast caricature of President Andrew Johnson from his 1867 Grand Caricaturama tour. The library became a joint free public library serving both Morristown and Morris Township in 1965. It offers one of Morris County's broadest museum pass programs, a Library of Things funded by the John Bickford Foundation, and open Sunday hours.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Open seven days a week including Sundays 1–5pm — one of the few Morris County libraries with Sunday hours
- 11 museum passes: Guggenheim, MoMA, Intrepid, Morris Museum, Storm King Art Center, Acorn Hall and more
- Library of Things: gadgets and specialty items available for checkout, funded by the John Bickford Foundation
- Thomas Nast's 1867 Grand Caricaturama painting (7x11 ft) and Samuel Yellin's 1931 ironwork on display
- North Jersey History and Genealogy Center — the largest genealogy collection in Morris County
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Morristown & Morris Township cardholders can stream, download and research free through the library's and New Jersey's statewide digital collections:
📚 Services
- Museum Pass Program — 11 partner institutions including Guggenheim, MoMA, Morris Museum, Storm King Art Center
- Library of Things — gadgets and specialty items for checkout (John Bickford Foundation grant)
- North Jersey History and Genealogy Center — largest genealogy collection in Morris County
- Study room reservations via LibCal online booking system
- Tech help (Tue–Thu, 11am–3pm, 30-min sessions at the reference desk)
- Wireless printing from phones, tablets and laptops
🎸 Programs
- Adult Summer Reading with weekly prize lottery (June–September)
- Modern Mondays Reading Club — established 1921, one of NJ's longest-running book clubs
- Children's programs and storytimes in the second-floor Children's Room
- JSTOR and AtoZ Databases access for research and academic use
- Language learning via Mango Languages (70+ courses)
📍 Nearby Libraries in Morris County, NJ
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Morristown · Browse all New Jersey libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What is the historical significance of the 1917 library building at 1 Miller Road?
After an 1914 fire destroyed the original Morristown library and its 30,000 volumes, retired textile merchant Grinnell Willis funded an entirely new, fireproof building at the corner of Miller Road and South Street in memory of his late wife. That building opened December 13, 1917, with 8,000 volumes. It remains the library's home today, expanded in 1987 with the Dowling Wing and in 2006 with the Croy Media Center.
What is the Thomas Nast painting in the library's media center?
The library displays Swinging Round the Circle, an 1867 caricature painting by Thomas Nast measuring 7 by 11 feet. It was created for Nast's Grand Caricaturama tour — a traveling stage show in New York City and Boston — and depicts President Andrew Johnson and administration officials on a carousel. It is one of the most distinctive artworks held by any New Jersey public library.
Does the Morristown & Morris Township Library offer museum passes, and which museums?
Yes. The library lends museum passes (4-day loan, one per card at a time) to patrons 18 and older. New Jersey partners include Acorn Hall, Fosterfields/Cooper Grist Mill/Historic Speedwell, Macculloch Hall Historical Museum, Morris Museum, Museum of Early Trades & Crafts, and Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms. New York partners include the AKC Museum of the Dog, Guggenheim, Intrepid, MoMA and Storm King Art Center.
Is the library open on Sundays, and what are the full weekly hours?
Yes — the library is open Sundays from 1pm to 5pm, which is unusual for Morris County. Monday through Thursday hours are 9am–9pm. Friday and Saturday are 9am–5pm. The Saturday schedule shortens to 10am–2pm in July and August. Call (973) 538-6161 or visit mmtlibrary.org for holiday closures.
🎨 This library lends museum passes. See how library museum passes work and find other libraries that lend passes museum passes by state.
📜 This library has genealogy & local-history resources. See how library family-history research works and find other libraries with genealogy collections genealogy libraries by state.
🧰 This library lends a “Library of Things.” See what you can borrow besides books and find other libraries with a Library of Things Library of Things by state.
📚 This library has study rooms. See how library study rooms work — booking, time limits and quiet vs group rooms — and find other libraries with study rooms libraries with study rooms by state.
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