Brigadier General Charles E. McGee Library
🏢 Montgomery County Public Libraries · Silver Spring, Maryland
Brigadier General Charles E. McGee Library
The Brigadier General Charles E. McGee Library is Montgomery County's flagship downtown branch — a seven-story glass tower at 900 Wayne Avenue that opened in 2015 and, in 2022, took the name of a Tuskegee Airman who called the county home. It stacks a children's floor, a teen level with a Mac lab, and an adult collection steps from the Silver Spring Metro.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10am–8pm |
| Tuesday | 10am–8pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–8pm |
| Thursday | 10am–8pm |
| Friday | 10am–6pm |
| Saturday | 10am–6pm |
| Sunday | 10am–6pm |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 900 Wayne Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Phone: 240-773-9420
Website: montgomerycountymd.gov
Plus Code: 87C4XXVG+X4 (Silver Spring, MD)
📱 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
900 Wayne Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Get transit & driving directions → (live subway, bus & car routes).
🚘 Parking
Paid parking garage, paid parking lot, metered street parking nearby.
♿ Accessibility
Includes wheelchair-accessible entrance, accessible parking.
🛀 Amenities
Baby changing table.
⭐ Visitor rating
4.4 / 5 from 305 Google reviews.
🕑 Best time to go
Usually calmest soon after opening; busiest around 1 pm.
Visit details from the library’s Google Business Profile, verified October 2026 — confirm on official page before a special-date trip.
📖 About Brigadier General Charles E. McGee Library
The Brigadier General Charles E. McGee Library is the downtown Silver Spring branch of Montgomery County Public Libraries and one of the largest library buildings in the county. Silver Spring's library service dates back to 1931, moving through the Jesup Blair Community House in the 1930s and a Colesville Road building in 1957 before the current seven-story, roughly $64 million facility opened at 900 Wayne Avenue in June 2015. The tower mixes uses across its floors: a ground-level space built alongside the future Purple Line light-rail platform, county offices, meeting rooms and artist studios on the lower floors, a third-floor customer-service and teen level with study rooms and a Mac lab, a fourth-floor adult collection with periodicals and computer rooms, and a fifth-floor children's library. In 2022 the county renamed the branch to honor Brigadier General Charles E. McGee, a Tuskegee Airman and longtime Montgomery County resident who flew 409 combat missions across World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Sitting a block from the Silver Spring Metro station and served by Ride On and Metrobus routes, it functions as the busy civic hub of downtown Silver Spring.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Seven-story downtown flagship (opened June 2015, roughly $64 million) — one of the largest MCPL buildings, with a separate children's floor, a teen level and a full adult collection
- Renamed in 2022 for Brigadier General Charles E. McGee, a Tuskegee Airman and Montgomery County resident who flew 409 combat missions across World War II, Korea and Vietnam
- Third-floor teen space with study rooms and a Mac lab; meeting rooms, artist studios and reservable collaboration spaces on the lower floors
- Built with a ground-floor platform for the future Purple Line light-rail station and located about a block from the Silver Spring Metro (Red Line)
- Fully ADA-accessible with elevators, ramps and accessible computers; paid parking at the adjoining Wayne Avenue Garage (free evenings and Sundays)
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Silver Spring cardholders can search, stream, and research free through MCPL and Maryland's statewide collections:
📚 Services
- Separate children's library floor and a dedicated teen level with study rooms
- Mac lab and public computer rooms
- Reservable meeting rooms, collaboration spaces and artist studios
- Contactless holds pickup and self-checkout
- One-on-one help and reference from MCPL staff
- Free AARP Tax-Aide preparation (seasonal, appointment)
- ADA-accessible entrances, elevators and computers
- Transit access via the Silver Spring Metro (Red Line), Ride On and Metrobus
🎸 Programs
- Baby, toddler and preschool storytimes
- Teen technology and creative programs in the Mac lab
- Summer Reading challenges for all ages
- Author talks and community events in the meeting rooms
- English conversation and adult learning programs
- Cultural and civic programming for downtown Silver Spring
📍 Nearby Libraries in Montgomery County
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Silver Spring · Browse all Maryland libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the McGee Library building split into two sections?
The building's lower floors are divided by the right-of-way reserved for the Purple Line light rail, creating a main building to the west and a "Pavilion" along Fenton Street; the two sections connect at the third floor. A Purple Line station is being built with platforms beneath the east side of the library.
Will there be a light-rail stop at the Silver Spring (McGee) Library?
Yes. A Purple Line light-rail station — the Silver Spring Library station — is under construction directly beneath the building, in addition to the nearby Silver Spring Metro Red Line stop. The library is also served by paid parking at the Wayne Avenue Garage, which is free evenings and Sundays.
Why is the Silver Spring Library named for Brigadier General Charles E. McGee?
In 2022 Montgomery County renamed its downtown Silver Spring branch in honor of Brigadier General Charles E. McGee, a Tuskegee Airman who lived in Montgomery County. McGee flew 409 combat missions across World War II, Korea and Vietnam and was one of the most decorated fighter pilots in U.S. Air Force history. You may still see the building referred to as the Silver Spring Library — the address at 900 Wayne Avenue and the phone number are unchanged.
What is on each floor of the McGee Library?
The seven-story building spreads the library across several floors: county offices, meeting rooms and artist studios on the lower levels, a third floor with customer service, teen materials, study rooms and a Mac lab, a fourth-floor adult collection with periodicals and computer rooms, and a fifth-floor children's library. The ground level was built alongside a platform for the future Purple Line light-rail station.
When is the McGee Library open?
The branch is open seven days a week: Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Hours can change on public holidays, so it's worth checking the Montgomery County Public Libraries branch page before a holiday visit.
How do I get to the McGee Library and where do I park?
The library sits about a block from the Silver Spring Metro station on the Red Line and is served by Ride On and Metrobus routes, making it easy to reach without a car. If you drive, paid parking is available in the adjoining Wayne Avenue Garage — roughly $1.25 per hour on weekday mornings and afternoons, and free on evenings and Sundays.
📚 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.
📅 This library has meeting & community rooms. See how library meeting rooms work — booking, policies and fees — and find other libraries with meeting or community rooms meeting rooms by state.
✎ Notice something out of date? Suggest a correction and we’ll verify and update it.
✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.
