Penrose Library
🏢 Pikes Peak Library District · Colorado Springs, Colorado
Penrose Library
Penrose Library — downtown Colorado Springs's main library since 1968 and flagship of the Pikes Peak Library District — pairs a 60,000-square-foot modern building with the landmark 1905 Carnegie Library next door, offering the region's only public Westlaw access, a dedicated genealogy archive, and free two-hour parking for every cardholder.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–7pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–7pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–7pm |
| Thursday | 9am–7pm |
| Friday | 9am–5pm |
| Saturday | 9am–5pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 20 N. Cascade Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Phone: (719) 531-6333
Website: ppld.org
Plus Code: 85CQR5PF+4H (Colorado Springs, CO)
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📖 About Penrose Library
Penrose Library is the flagship main branch of the Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD), serving El Paso County from its downtown Colorado Springs location at 20 N. Cascade Ave. since opening in July 1968. The 60,000-square-foot concrete-and-glass building was funded by a $2.2 million gift from the El Pomar Foundation and named in honor of Spencer and Julie Penrose — the Colorado Springs philanthropists who built the Broadmoor Hotel, completed the Pikes Peak Highway, and founded El Pomar in 1937. Physically connected to the neighboring 1905 Carnegie Library (listed on the National Register of Historic Places), Penrose is the only PPLD branch offering public Westlaw legal research terminals and houses the Robert Hilbert Nonprofit Resource Center and the Regional History & Genealogy department. A 2025 renovation enclosed the children's area with a custom mural by Colorado artist Amanda Stavast and added a Chromebook self-checkout kiosk.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Named for philanthropists Spencer and Julie Penrose, whose El Pomar Foundation donated $2.2 million to construct the 60,000-square-foot building, opened July 1968
- Physically connected to the landmark 1905 Carnegie Library (National Register of Historic Places) — now housing the Regional History & Genealogy department (open Wed–Sat 10am–5pm)
- Only PPLD branch with Westlaw terminals — Colorado's premier legal research database, free and open to the public during library hours
- Robert Hilbert Nonprofit Resource Center in the Carnegie building provides Candid/Foundation Directory access, grant databases, and a full-time nonprofit librarian
- FamilySearch Affiliate Library with in-branch access to restricted FamilySearch collections plus Ancestry Library Edition, Fold3, and the PPLD Pikes Peak NewsFinder obituary index
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
PPLD cardholders access these digital resources free with their library card:
📚 Services
- Westlaw legal research terminals (in-library, Penrose only)
- Law Collection — public legal reference materials
- Robert Hilbert Nonprofit Resource Center — grant databases, Candid Search, Colorado Grants Guide, nonprofit management resources
- Regional History & Genealogy department in adjacent Carnegie Building (Wed–Sat 10am–5pm) — books, maps, manuscripts, photographs, oral histories
- FamilySearch Affiliate Library — in-branch access to restricted FamilySearch collections
- Ancestry Library Edition and Fold3 military records (in-branch)
- Friends of PPLD used-bookstore in the lobby (open during all library hours)
- Chromebook checkout kiosk (30+ Chromebooks)
- Public computers with internet access and wireless printing
- Meeting and study room reservations
- Interlibrary loan (ILL)
- Free parking — 2 hours/day with library card scan at kiosk; $1.50/hr additional
- Bus access — Mountain Metro Routes 3 and 9
🎸 Programs
- Family Place Play Group — early-literacy play sessions for children birth–age 5 and caregivers
- Summer Adventure — annual summer reading program for all ages
- Teen drop-in makerspace pop-ups — zine-making, button-making
- Art exhibits featuring local Colorado Springs artists (rotating)
- Genealogy classes and workshops (Regional History & Genealogy department)
- Author events and talks
- Nonprofit training workshops (Robert Hilbert Nonprofit Resource Center)
📍 Other Colorado Libraries
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Colorado Springs · Browse all Colorado libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Spencer Penrose, and why is this library named after him?
Spencer Penrose (1865–1939) was a Philadelphia-born entrepreneur who made his fortune in Colorado mining through the Utah Copper Company's Bingham Canyon operation, then poured his wealth into Colorado Springs. He built the Broadmoor Hotel, completed the Pikes Peak Highway, and founded the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. In 1937 he and his wife Julie established the El Pomar Foundation, which in 1966 gifted $2.2 million to build the new main library — named Penrose Library in their honor when it opened in July 1968.
What is special about the 1905 Carnegie building connected to Penrose Library?
The 1905 Carnegie Library — funded by a $60,000 Andrew Carnegie grant and designed by architect Calvin Kiessling in neo-classical style — was one of Colorado's earliest Carnegie libraries and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (since 1996). Today it houses PPLD's Regional History & Genealogy department, open Wednesday through Saturday, 10am–5pm, where researchers access maps, manuscripts, photographs, oral histories, and the Pikes Peak NewsFinder newspaper index.
Can I use Westlaw at Penrose Library, and do I need a law license?
No law license is required. Penrose Library is the only PPLD branch offering Westlaw terminals, and walk-in access is free during regular library hours (Mon–Thu 9am–7pm, Fri–Sat 9am–5pm). The El Paso County Bar Association's Law Library operated at Penrose from 2002 to 2010; when the Bar ended its funding, part of the collection was donated to PPLD, which continues to provide free public access.
What genealogy resources can I access at Penrose Library versus from home?
On-site at Penrose (or in the Carnegie building's Regional History & Genealogy department) you can use Ancestry Library Edition, Fold3 military records, and restricted FamilySearch collections via PPLD's FamilySearch Affiliate status. From home with your PPLD card you can access HeritageQuest, MyHeritage, 19th-century U.S. Newspapers, and the Pikes Peak NewsFinder obituary index. Staff can pull archival materials in advance if you call (719) 531-6333 ext. 7252.
📜 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.
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