Central Library — Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System
🏢 Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System · Atlanta, Georgia
Central Library — Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System
Designed by Marcel Breuer — his final completed building — the Central Library opened in May 1980 at Margaret Mitchell Square in downtown Atlanta. Its inverted-pyramid silhouette of precast concrete, eight stories above ground, holds 272,000 square feet of collections, community space, and the Georgia Room, a deep-dive research trove for the state's history and genealogy.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10am–8pm |
| Tuesday | 10am–8pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–6pm |
| Thursday | 10am–6pm |
| Friday | 10am–6pm |
| Saturday | 10am–6pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: One Margaret Mitchell Square NW, Atlanta, GA 30303
Phone: (404) 612-8700
Website: fulcolibrary.org
Plus Code: 865QQJ56+3J (Atlanta, GA)
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👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Central Library — Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System
The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System traces its roots to the 1867 Young Men's Library Association and the 1902 Carnegie Library. The current Central Library replaced that Carnegie building on March 25, 1977 (demolished for the new structure) and opened May 25, 1980, under the leadership of Ella Gaines Yates, the system's first African American director. Breuer — whose other landmarks include the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York — worked with Hamilton Smith and Atlanta firm Stevens & Wilkinson on a building that cantilevers dramatically outward on each of its eight floors, clad in precast concrete panels with diagonal striations and a bush-hammered texture. Richard Hunt's steel sculpture "Wisdom Bridge" anchors the plaza. A $275 million bond referendum passed by Fulton County voters in 2008 funded a sweeping 2018–2021 renovation that expanded the footprint to 272,000 square feet and modernized every floor while preserving the building's brutalist integrity. The Georgia Collection, rare books, genealogy stacks, and the donated Margaret Mitchell papers (1954) remain signature holdings.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Marcel Breuer's final completed building (1980) — a landmark of American Brutalist architecture, the only Breuer design in Georgia
- 272,000 square feet across eight floors, renovated 2018–2021 with a $275 million county bond
- Georgia Collection and genealogy stacks for deep-dive state history and family research
- Richard Hunt's steel sculpture "Wisdom Bridge" in the plaza at Margaret Mitchell Square
- Partnership Passes for free and discounted entry to Atlanta-area museums, state parks, and cultural attractions
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Central Library cardholders can search, stream, and download through Georgia's statewide and AFPLS digital collections:
📚 Services
- Georgia Collection, rare books & genealogy research stacks
- Partnership Passes for free/discounted entry to Atlanta-area museums and state parks
- Computer lab, free Wi-Fi & wireless printing
- Meeting and study rooms (reservable)
- GED testing and preparation support
- Laptop checkout
- Interlibrary loan
- Ask a Librarian reference assistance
🎸 Programs
- Children's storytimes and youth programming
- Adult literacy and GED classes
- Author talks and lecture series
- Summer reading program
- Book clubs and discussion groups
- Community and cultural programming
📍 Nearby Libraries in Atlanta
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Who designed the Central Library, and what makes it architecturally significant?
Marcel Breuer — a Hungarian-born Bauhaus architect best known for the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York — designed the Central Library as his final completed building. Finished in 1980 with partners Hamilton Smith and Atlanta's Stevens & Wilkinson firm, it is the only Breuer building in Georgia. The eight-story structure is a textbook example of American Brutalism: it cantilevers outward on every floor, sheathed in precast concrete panels with diagonal striations and a bush-hammered surface. A large square window faces Margaret Mitchell Square, and Richard Hunt's steel sculpture "Wisdom Bridge" stands in the plaza.
When was the Central Library renovated, and what changed?
A comprehensive renovation ran from 2018 to 2021, funded by the $275 million bond referendum Fulton County voters passed in 2008. The project expanded the building's footprint from 250,000 to 272,000 square feet, modernized every floor's layout and technology, and restored the exterior's brutalist character. The library reopened in October 2021.
What is the Georgia Collection at Central Library?
The Georgia Collection is the library's deep-dive research archive for Georgia history, genealogy, and local records. It includes rare books, state documents, microfilm newspapers, and the Margaret Mitchell papers donated to the system in 1954. It is the largest such collection in the Fulton County system and serves researchers, genealogists, and students statewide.
What are Partnership Passes, and does Central Library have them?
Partnership Passes are museum and attraction passes that AFPLS cardholders can check out like a book, granting free or discounted entry to venues such as the Breman Museum, the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory, the Center for Puppetry Arts, Georgia State Parks, and more. They are available across system branches including Central Library; check availability in the AFPLS catalog at fulcolibrary.bibliocommons.com.
📜 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 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.
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✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.