Harold Washington Library Center
🏢 Chicago Public Library · Chicago, Illinois
Harold Washington Library Center
Opened in 1991 and named for Chicago's first Black mayor, the Harold Washington Library Center is the central library of the Chicago Public Library — a 10-floor, roughly 756,000-square-foot postmodern landmark at State and Congress that once held the Guinness record as the largest public library building in the world.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–8pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–8pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–8pm |
| Thursday | 9am–8pm |
| Friday | 9am–5pm |
| Saturday | 9am–5pm |
| Sunday | 1pm–5pm |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 400 S State St, Chicago, IL 60605
Phone: (312) 747-4300
Website: chipublib.org
Plus Code: 86HJV9GC+GP (Chicago, IL)
📱 Scan for directions
Point your phone camera at the code to open turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps.
👋 Use the Library Online
📍 Plan your visit
🚉 Getting there
400 S State St, Chicago, IL 60605. Get transit & driving directions → (live subway, bus & car routes).
🚘 Parking
Metered street parking nearby.
♿ Accessibility
Includes wheelchair-accessible entrance.
🛀 Amenities
Baby changing table.
⭐ Visitor rating
4.6 / 5 from 1670 Google reviews.
🕑 Best time to go
Usually calmest soon after opening; busiest around 2 pm.
Visit details from the library’s Google Business Profile, verified October 2026 — confirm on official page before a special-date trip.
📖 About Harold Washington Library Center
The Harold Washington Library Center opened on October 7, 1991 as the flagship of the Chicago Public Library, replacing decades of temporary central-library quarters. Designed by the Chicago firm Hammond, Beeby and Babka — winners of a 1987 public design competition — its red-brick-and-granite exterior deliberately echoes nearby landmarks like the Rookery, the Auditorium Building and the Monadnock, and its roof is crowned by seven aluminum acroteria of owls and seed pods by sculptor Kent Bloomer. With about 756,000 square feet of usable space across ten floors, it was recognized by Guinness World Records as the largest public library building in the world when it opened. Highlights include the glass-roofed ninth-floor Winter Garden, the Thomas Hughes Children's Library, the Chicago Blues Archives, a Maker Lab, and the YOUmedia teen learning space. A member of the RAILS regional system, the library connects Chicagoans to the citywide CPL network of more than 80 locations and to statewide interlibrary loan.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Central library of the Chicago Public Library system — opened October 7, 1991 and named for Harold Washington, the city's first Black mayor
- Designed by Hammond, Beeby and Babka (winners of a 1987 competition); a postmodern red-brick-and-granite landmark echoing the Rookery, Auditorium and Monadnock buildings
- Recognized by Guinness World Records as the largest public library building in the world — roughly 756,000 square feet of space across 10 floors
- The ninth-floor Winter Garden, a glass-roofed reading room and event space, plus seven rooftop acroteria of owls and seed pods sculpted by Kent Bloomer
- Special collections include the Chicago Blues Archives, the Harold Washington Archives & Collections, and the Municipal Reference Collection
- Thomas Hughes Children's Library, a YOUmedia teen studio, a Maker Lab with a laser cutter, and a 5th-floor Assistive Resources Center for patrons with disabilities
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Chicago Public Library cardholders can stream, download and research free through CPL's apps and Illinois's statewide IRIS program:
📚 Services
- Archives & Special Collections — the Harold Washington Archives, Chicago Blues Archives and Municipal Reference Collection
- Maker Lab — 3D printing, laser cutting, vinyl cutting and design software
- YOUmedia — a teen creative space with recording and media-production tools
- Assistive Resources Center (5th floor) — adaptive technology for patrons with visual or physical disabilities
- Teacher in the Library homework help and CyberNavigator one-on-one tech tutoring
- Free public computers, Wi-Fi and printing across ten floors
- Study rooms and music practice rooms available to book
- Interlibrary loan and statewide requesting through the RAILS regional system
🎸 Programs
- Author talks, exhibitions and cultural programs in the Winter Garden and Cindy Pritzker Auditorium
- Storytimes and family programs at the Thomas Hughes Children's Library
- Teen workshops in music, video and design through YOUmedia
- Maker Lab classes in 3D printing, laser cutting and digital design
- Blues and Chicago-history programming tied to the special collections
- Adult computer and job-search classes with CyberNavigators
- Book discussions and One Book, One Chicago events
📍 Nearby Chicago Public Library Locations
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Harold Washington Library Center have music practice rooms?
Yes. On the eighth floor, the library offers what it describes as Chicago's only free music practice rooms open to the public, equipped with pianos. The floor also holds a music collection of more than 40,000 volumes of printed music.
Can I see exhibits about Harold Washington at the library?
Yes. The Special Collections and Preservation Division on the ninth floor features a permanent exhibit on the career of Mayor Harold Washington, Chicago's first Black mayor, alongside rotating exhibits. The adjacent Winter Garden, a glass-roofed ninth-floor reading room, is free and open to the public during regular hours.
Was the Harold Washington Library Center ever the largest public library in the world?
Yes. When it opened on October 7, 1991, the Harold Washington Library Center was recognized by Guinness World Records as the largest public library building in the world, with roughly 756,000 square feet of space across ten floors. It remains the central library of the Chicago Public Library system and one of the largest municipal library buildings in the United States.
Who was the library named after, and who designed the building?
The library is named for Harold Washington, who served as Chicago's first Black mayor from 1983 until his death in 1987. The postmodern building was designed by the Chicago architecture firm Hammond, Beeby and Babka, which won a 1987 design competition. Its red-brick and granite façade deliberately references nearby Chicago landmarks such as the Rookery, the Auditorium Building and the Monadnock, and the roof is topped by seven aluminum acroteria of owls and seed pods by sculptor Kent Bloomer.
What can I see and do inside the Harold Washington Library Center?
The building's signature space is the glass-roofed ninth-floor Winter Garden, used as a reading room and event venue. Other highlights include the Thomas Hughes Children's Library, the Chicago Blues Archives, the Harold Washington Archives & Collections, a Maker Lab with 3D printers and a laser cutter, the YOUmedia teen studio, and a 5th-floor Assistive Resources Center. There are also free public computers, study and music practice rooms, and Wi-Fi throughout.
What are the Harold Washington Library Center's hours?
The library is open Monday through Thursday from 9am to 8pm, Friday and Saturday from 9am to 5pm, and Sunday from 1pm to 5pm. It closes on major holidays such as Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Because it is the central library, hours can differ from CPL's neighborhood branches, so check chipublib.org before a special trip.
🔨 This library has a makerspace / 3D printing. See how library makerspaces and 3D printing work and find other libraries with a makerspace makerspaces 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.
🖨 This library offers printing, copying & fax. See how library printing, copying, scanning and fax services work — costs and mobile printing — and find other libraries that offer them printing & fax by state.
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✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.