Stowe Free Library
🏢 Green Mountain Library Consortium · Stowe, Vermont
Stowe Free Library
One of Vermont's oldest public libraries, the Stowe Free Library was founded in 1866 with 51 books donated by visiting summer artists. It now shares the restored 1861 Akeley building at 90 Pond Street with the Helen Day Art Center and stays open until 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10am–5pm |
| Tuesday | 12pm–7pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–5pm |
| Thursday | 12pm–7pm |
| Friday | 10am–5pm |
| Saturday | 10am–2pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 90 Pond Street, Stowe, VT 05672
Phone: (802) 253-6145
Website: stowefreelibrary.org
Plus Code: 87P9F878+C5 (Stowe, VT)
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👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Stowe Free Library
The Stowe Free Library is the public library of Stowe, Vermont, a Lamoille County mountain town at the foot of Mount Mansfield. It began in 1866 when a group of visiting summer artists donated 51 books and the town appropriated $100 — making Stowe the first town in Vermont to vote public money for a library under the state's 1865 library law. After decades in the Akeley Memorial Building (from 1904), the library moved in 1981 into the restored 1861 brick building at 90 Pond Street, which it shares with the Helen Day Art Center. Today it holds roughly 25,000 books along with films, audiobooks, magazines and a dedicated Vermont Room for local history, and belongs to the Green Mountain Library Consortium, so a Stowe card also unlocks the statewide digital collection through Libby and the Palace Project.
⭐ What makes this library special
- One of Vermont's oldest libraries — founded 1866, the first town in the state to appropriate public funds for a library under the 1865 law
- Housed in the restored 1861 Akeley building at 90 Pond Street, shared with the Helen Day Art Center in Stowe Village
- Dedicated Vermont Room collection for local and state history and genealogy research
- Collection of roughly 25,000 books plus films, audiobooks, magazines and downloadable titles
- Open until 7 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday for after-work and after-school visits
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Stowe cardholders can stream, download and research free through Vermont's statewide and consortium collections:
📚 Services
- Vermont Room for local history and genealogy research
- Public computers, printing & free Wi-Fi
- Interlibrary loan through the Green Mountain Library Consortium
- Meeting and program space in the shared Akeley building
- Downloadable eBooks, audiobooks and streaming media
- Reference and reader's advisory assistance
🎸 Programs
- Children's storytimes and youth programming
- Adult programs and author events
- Summer reading
- Book discussion groups
- Community activities with the Friends of the Stowe Free Library
📍 Nearby Libraries in Central Vermont
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How old is the Stowe Free Library, and how did it start?
It started in 1866, when a group of visiting summer artists donated 51 books and the town of Stowe appropriated $100 — the first town in Vermont to vote public money for a library under the state's 1865 library law. That makes it one of the oldest public libraries in the state, well over 150 years old.
Why is the library in the same building as the Helen Day Art Center?
In 1981 the library moved into the restored 1861 brick Akeley building at 90 Pond Street, which was renovated to house both the Stowe Free Library and the Helen Day Art Center. The two institutions have shared the historic building in Stowe Village ever since.
What is the Vermont Room at the Stowe Free Library?
The Vermont Room is the library's dedicated local-history collection, holding materials on Stowe and Vermont history and genealogy. It's a good starting point for researching the town, local families and the region's past.
Which nights is the library open late, and is it open on weekends?
The library stays open until 7 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday. Monday, Wednesday and Friday run 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Saturday is 10 a.m.–2 p.m., and the library is closed on Sunday.
📜 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.
🖨 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.