Central Library
🏢 Kansas City Public Library · Kansas City, Missouri
Central Library
The flagship Central Library of the Kansas City Public Library fills the restored 1906 First National Bank building at 14 West 10th Street downtown, famous for the Community Bookshelf that turns its parking garage into a row of giant book spines.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–7pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–7pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–7pm |
| Thursday | 9am–5pm |
| Friday | 9am–5pm |
| Saturday | 9am–5pm |
| Sunday | 1pm–5pm |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 14 West 10th Street, Kansas City, MO 64105
Phone: (816) 701-3449
Website: kclibrary.org
Plus Code: 86F74C38+2C (Kansas City, MO)
📱 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
14 W 10th St, Kansas City, MO 64105. Get transit & driving directions → (live subway, bus & car routes).
🚘 Parking
Free parking garage, free parking lot, paid parking garage, paid parking lot, metered street parking nearby.
♿ Accessibility
Includes wheelchair-accessible entrance, accessible parking.
🛀 Amenities
Baby changing table.
⭐ Visitor rating
4.7 / 5 from 639 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 Central Library
Central Library is the downtown flagship of the Kansas City Public Library, the oldest public library system in the Kansas City metro. In 2004 the library moved into the former First National Bank building — a 1906 Second Renaissance Revival landmark by architects Wilder & Wight, listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1977 — and adapted the grand banking hall into reading rooms and event space. The best-known feature sits next door: the Community Bookshelf, a block-long facade on the library's parking garage that shows 22 giant book spines chosen by Kansas City readers, each roughly 25 by 9 feet. Inside, the building also holds the Missouri Valley Special Collections for local and regional history and the Durwood Film Vault, an 18-seat screening room built inside the old bank vault. Central anchors a system of ten locations across the city.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Housed in the restored 1906 First National Bank building, a National Register landmark the library reopened as its Central location in 2004
- The Community Bookshelf — a row of 22 giant book spines (about 25 by 9 feet each), titles chosen by Kansas City readers — wraps the library's parking garage
- Missouri Valley Special Collections: original manuscripts, photographs, maps, postcards and directories documenting Kansas City history
- Durwood Film Vault, an 18-seat screening room built inside the former bank vault on the lower level
- Downtown flagship of a ten-location system, with public computers, meeting and event space, and free Wi-Fi
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Kansas City Public Library cardholders can stream, download and research free through the library's digital collections:
📚 Services
- Missouri Valley Special Collections research room for local and regional history
- Durwood Film Vault screening room and public film programming
- Meeting rooms and downtown event space
- Public computers, printing and free Wi-Fi
- Reference and readers' advisory help
- Interlibrary loan across the ten-location system
🎸 Programs
- Author talks and the Library's signature public events series
- Children's storytimes and youth programs
- Summer reading challenges
- Local-history and genealogy programs through Missouri Valley Special Collections
- Film screenings in the Durwood Film Vault
📍 Nearby Libraries in Missouri
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Kansas City · Browse all Missouri libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Is there free parking at the Central Library in Kansas City?
Yes. The Central Library parking garage offers up to one hour of free parking with library validation. Two validation machines are on the first floor — one at the information desk along the right side of Kirk Hall (the main foyer) and one at the main customer service desk — and extra free validation is often provided for library programs.
What is the Community Bookshelf at the Central Library?
The Community Bookshelf is the block-long south facade of the Central Library's parking garage on West 10th Street. It shows 22 giant book spines — each roughly 25 by 9 feet — of titles suggested by Kansas City readers, from classics to local favorites. It's free to see any time from the sidewalk and has become one of downtown Kansas City's most photographed landmarks.
Why does the Central Library look like a bank?
Because it was one. The building opened in 1906 as the First National Bank, designed by Wilder & Wight in a Second Renaissance Revival style, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. The Kansas City Public Library renovated the historic banking hall and reopened it as its Central Library in 2004, keeping features like the grand main hall and the old vault, which now houses the 18-seat Durwood Film Vault screening room.
What can I research in the Missouri Valley Special Collections?
The Missouri Valley Special Collections at Central Library document Kansas City and regional history through original manuscripts, photographs, maps, postcards, newspaper articles and city directories dating back to the city's earliest years. It's a go-to for genealogy, local history and researchers, and staff can help you navigate the materials on site.
When is the Central Library open?
Central Library is open Monday through Wednesday 9 a.m.–7 p.m., Thursday through Saturday 9 a.m.–5 p.m., and Sunday 1 p.m.–5 p.m. Hours can change on public holidays, so check kclibrary.org before a special trip.
🖨 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.
