Cahuenga Branch Library
🏢 Los Angeles Public Library · East Hollywood, California
Cahuenga Branch Library
The last of six Carnegie libraries built for Los Angeles, Cahuenga opened in 1916 in East Hollywood and still serves its community from the original Italian Renaissance Revival building — one of only three surviving Carnegie branches in the city and a recognized Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10am–8pm |
| Tuesday | 12pm–8pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–8pm |
| Thursday | 12pm–8pm |
| Friday | 9:30am–5:30pm |
| Saturday | 9:30am–5:30pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 4591 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90029
Phone: (323) 664-6418
Website: lapl.org
Plus Code: 85633PR6+CC (Los Angeles, CA)
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📖 About Cahuenga Branch Library
Designed by architect Clarence H. Russell and funded by a $34,000 Andrew Carnegie grant, Cahuenga Branch Library opened on December 4, 1916 as LAPL's third-oldest branch facility. The brick-and-concrete building is distinctive for its 'butterfly' floor plan, which lets staff supervise the entire reading room from a single central point, its clay-tile hip roof, and its tawny tapestry-brick facade with a raised double-stairway entrance. The City of Los Angeles named it Historic-Cultural Monument No. 314 in 1986, and the U.S. federal government added it to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987 as part of a thematic group of surviving LA Carnegie libraries. After seismic retrofitting and technology upgrades in the 1990s, the branch continues to anchor East Hollywood — one of the city's most linguistically diverse corridors — with an on-site Adult Literacy Center, multilingual Spanish-language collections, and New Americans services alongside its traditional public library offerings.
⭐ What makes this library special
- One of only three surviving Carnegie library buildings in Los Angeles, opened December 4, 1916 — LAPL's third-oldest branch
- Designated Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 314 (1986) and listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1987)
- Architect Clarence H. Russell's 'butterfly' floor plan allows the entire reading room to be supervised from a single central point — an innovative 1916 layout still intact today
- Hosts one of LAPL's 18 Adult Literacy Centers, providing free one-on-one tutoring and English/citizenship class referrals for the East Hollywood community
- Within one mile of Barnsdall Art Park (Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House), the Braille Institute, Los Angeles City College, and KCET studios
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
LAPL cardholders get free access to a broad digital library — stream, download, and learn from home:
📚 Services
- Public computers and free Wi-Fi
- Wireless printing and self-checkout machines
- Student study area
- Spanish-language materials collection
- ZoomText accessibility technology for low-vision patrons
- Adult Literacy Center: free one-on-one tutoring and walk-in literacy sessions
- New Americans Center: ESL and citizenship class referrals
- Neighborhood Science Kits (take-home)
- Meeting/program room (basement auditorium)
🎸 Programs
- Student Zone — homework help for K-12 students
- Read Aloud Storytime — ages 0-4
- Adult Literacy Walk-in Tutoring — drop-in sessions at the on-site Literacy Center
- Neighborhood Science Kits — hands-on science take-home kits
📍 Nearby LAPL Branches
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Los Angeles · Browse all California libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does 'Cahuenga' mean and where does the name come from?
The name Cahuenga comes from Kawé'nga, a Tongva (Gabrielino) village that once occupied this part of the Los Angeles basin. Linguists translate it as roughly 'at the mountain,' referring to the Santa Monica Mountains ridge that forms Cahuenga Pass nearby. The name is preserved across the neighborhood, the pass, and this 1916 library.
Is the Cahuenga Branch Library a designated historic landmark?
Yes — it holds two official designations. The City of Los Angeles named it Historic-Cultural Monument No. 314 in October 1986, and the U.S. federal government added it to the National Register of Historic Places in May 1987 as part of a thematic group of surviving Los Angeles Carnegie libraries. It is one of only three Carnegie library buildings still standing in the city.
Does Cahuenga Branch have an Adult Literacy Center on site?
Yes. Cahuenga is one of 18 LAPL branches that house a dedicated Adult Literacy Center. The center offers free one-on-one tutoring, walk-in literacy sessions, and English and citizenship class referrals — a service with particular reach in East Hollywood, one of LA's most multilingual neighborhoods.
What's within walking distance of the Cahuenga Branch Library?
The library sits in a culture-dense stretch of East Hollywood. Within roughly one mile you'll find Barnsdall Art Park (home to Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House), the Braille Institute of America, Los Angeles City College, and KCET public television studios — making the branch a natural anchor for this walkable cultural corridor along Santa Monica Boulevard.
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