Indianapolis Public Library — Central Library
🏢 Indianapolis Public Library · Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis Public Library — Central Library
The flagship Central Library of the Indianapolis Public Library pairs a 1917 Indiana-limestone landmark by architect Paul Cret with a six-story glass-and-steel addition opened in 2007, at 40 East St Clair Street in downtown Indianapolis. It stays open until 8 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday and anchors the 24-branch IndyPL system for Marion County.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10am–8pm |
| Tuesday | 10am–8pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–6pm |
| Thursday | 10am–6pm |
| Friday | 10am–5pm |
| Saturday | 10am–5pm |
| Sunday | 1pm–5pm |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 40 East Saint Clair Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204
Phone: (317) 275-4100
Website: indypl.org
Plus Code: 86FMQRHV+98 (Indianapolis, IN)
📱 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
40 E St Clair St, Indianapolis, IN 46204. Get transit & driving directions → (live subway, bus & car routes).
🚘 Parking
Free parking lot, free street parking, paid parking garage, paid parking lot, metered street parking nearby.
♿ Accessibility
Includes wheelchair-accessible entrance, accessible parking.
🛀 Amenities
Baby changing table.
⭐ Visitor rating
4.6 / 5 from 702 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 Indianapolis Public Library — Central Library
The Central Library is the main building of the Indianapolis Public Library (IndyPL), the public library system serving the city of Indianapolis and Marion County. Its original Greek Doric building — faced in Indiana limestone on a Vermont marble base and designed by Philadelphia architect Paul Philippe Cret — opened to the public on October 8, 1917, on land donated by Hoosier poet James Whitcomb Riley. A $104 million renovation by Woollen, Molzan and Partners added a six-story glass-and-steel wing and an underground parking garage, reopening the expanded library on December 9, 2007. Today Central serves as the system hub for IndyPL's two dozen locations and houses specialized collections including the Center for Black Literature & Culture (opened 2017), the Chris Gonzalez LGBTQ+ collection, and the Nina Mason Pulliam Indianapolis Special Collections Room.
⭐ What makes this library special
- 1917 Greek Doric landmark by architect Paul Cret, faced in Indiana limestone, with a 100-by-45-foot main reading room and ornamental history medallions
- Six-story glass-and-steel addition (Woollen, Molzan and Partners, 2007) with an on-site underground parking garage
- Home of the Center for Black Literature & Culture, opened in 2017
- Federal Depository Library and a Patent & Trademark Resource Center for public research access
- Kid Central and Teen Central spaces, a computer training lab, an assistive-technology room and 3D printing
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
An Indianapolis Public Library card unlocks free streaming, downloads and research statewide:
📚 Services
- Federal Depository Library and Patent & Trademark Resource Center
- Center for Black Literature & Culture and Indianapolis Special Collections Room
- Kid Central and Teen Central program spaces
- Computer training lab and assistive-technology room
- 3D printing and public computers, printing & free Wi-Fi
- Meeting and study room rentals
- On-site underground parking garage and the T Street Eatz café
🎸 Programs
- Children's storytimes in Kid Central
- Teen programming and creative clubs in Teen Central
- Author talks and Center for Black Literature & Culture events
- Computer and technology training classes
- Summer reading and year-round programming for all ages
📍 Nearby Libraries in Central Indiana
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Indianapolis · Browse all Indiana libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What are the new Kid Central and Teen Central spaces at Central Library?
On June 6, 2026, Central Library opened Kid Central and Teen Central, a roughly 46,000-square-foot transformation of the second and third floors. Kid Central (3rd floor) includes a Storytime Lodge, interactive technology, early-learning stations and about 90,000 items in 28 languages; Teen Central (2nd floor) adds two new study rooms, a program room and about 16,000 items in 17 languages.
What are the Central Library's hours, and which nights is it open late?
Central Library is open Monday and Tuesday 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Friday and Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m., and Sunday 1 p.m.–5 p.m. Monday and Tuesday are the late nights. Hours can change on holidays, so check indypl.org before you go.
Who designed the Central Library building?
The original 1917 building was designed by Philadelphia architect Paul Philippe Cret in the Greek Doric style, faced with Indiana limestone on a Vermont marble base, and opened on land donated by poet James Whitcomb Riley. A six-story glass-and-steel addition by Woollen, Molzan and Partners opened in December 2007 after a $104 million renovation.
What special collections can I use at Central Library?
Central houses the Center for Black Literature & Culture (opened 2017), the Chris Gonzalez LGBTQ+ collection, and the Nina Mason Pulliam Indianapolis Special Collections Room. It is also a Federal Depository Library and a Patent & Trademark Resource Center, so the public can research government documents and patents on site.
Is there parking at the Central Library?
Yes. The 2007 expansion added an on-site underground parking garage beneath the library, and the building sits just north of downtown at 40 East St Clair Street, near the Indiana War Memorial and museum district.
🔨 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.
✎ Notice something out of date? Suggest a correction and we’ll verify and update it.
More public libraries in Indiana
✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.
