Richard J. Riordan Central Library
🏢 Los Angeles Public Library — Los Angeles, California
Richard J. Riordan Central Library
Crowned by a pyramid tower and a torch symbolizing the "Light of Learning," downtown LA's 1926 flagship is one of the largest public libraries in the country.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10 AM – 8 PM |
| Tuesday | 10 AM – 8 PM |
| Wednesday | 10 AM – 8 PM |
| Thursday | 10 AM – 8 PM |
| Friday | 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM |
| Saturday | 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM |
| Sunday | 1 PM – 5 PM |
Hours may vary on holidays.
📍 Location & Contact
Address: 630 W. 5th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071
Phone: (213) 228-7000
Website: lapl.org
📖 About Richard J. Riordan Central Library
Designed by architect Bertram Goodhue and opened in July 1926, the Central Library is the architectural and administrative heart of the Los Angeles Public Library. Its signature tower rises to a tiled mosaic pyramid topped by a hand holding a torch representing the "Light of Learning," and the interior is decorated with Dean Cornwell's four-part mural cycle depicting the history of California, completed around 1933. Two arson fires in 1986 devastated the building — the April blaze alone destroyed roughly 400,000 volumes, about a fifth of the collection — prompting a landmark rescue-and-restoration campaign. The complex reopened in 1993 with the addition of the 360,000-square-foot Tom Bradley Wing, designed by Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates, wrapped around a soaring atrium. In 2001 the building was renamed for former mayor Richard J. Riordan, and today it ranks among the largest public libraries in the United States by holdings, housing millions of items from popular fiction to rare genealogical, photographic, and patent collections.
⭐ What makes this branch special
- Bertram Goodhue's 1926 building topped by the pyramid tower and "Light of Learning" torch
- Dean Cornwell's monumental California-history murals from the early 1930s
- Rebuilt after the 1986 arson fires and expanded with the 1993 Tom Bradley Wing atrium
- Headquarters of the LAPL system and one of the largest public libraries in the U.S.
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❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does the torch on top of the Central Library's pyramid tower mean?
The finial atop Goodhue's tiled mosaic pyramid is a sculpted hand holding a torch that symbolizes the "Light of Learning," a motif carried throughout the building's original 1926 decorative program.
What happened to the library during the 1986 fires?
Two arson fires struck in 1986; the April 29 blaze alone destroyed about 400,000 volumes — roughly 20 percent of the collection — and led to a major public restoration effort before the building reopened in 1993.
Why is it called the Richard J. Riordan Central Library?
The building was renamed in 2001 to honor Richard J. Riordan, who served as mayor of Los Angeles; it had simply been known as Central Library since its 1926 opening.