Highland Park Public Library
🏢 Serving Highland Park · Lake County, Illinois
Highland Park Public Library
Highland Park's public library since 1888, housed in a landmark Gothic-style limestone building at 494 Laurel Avenue on the North Shore, is fine-free and open until 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–9pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–9pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–9pm |
| Thursday | 9am–9pm |
| Friday | 9am–6pm |
| Saturday | 9am–5pm |
| Sunday | 1pm–5pm |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 494 Laurel Avenue, Highland Park, IL 60035
Phone: (847) 432-0216
Website: hplibrary.org
Plus Code: 86JJ56M3+R8 (Highland Park, IL)
📱 Scan for directions
Point your phone camera at the code to open turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps.
👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Highland Park Public Library
The Highland Park Public Library has served this North Shore Lake County community since 1888, when the city adopted an ordinance for a tax-supported library and it opened its doors on April 7 of that year. A 1903 Andrew Carnegie grant of $10,000 built its first purpose-built home on Laurel Avenue, and in 1931 the library moved into the modified-Gothic Wisconsin-limestone building it still occupies today, designed by the Chicago firm Holmes & Flinn. A Children's Wing was added in 1960 and a 20,000-square-foot adult wing in 1976. A municipal library run by the City of Highland Park rather than a district, it serves roughly 30,000 residents and belongs to the Cooperative Computer Services (CCS) consortium, so a Highland Park card borrows across dozens of Chicago-area libraries. The library is fine-free and is currently undergoing a "Reimagine Your Library" building project.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Fine-free — the library does not charge overdue fines on items checked out at Highland Park
- Housed in a 1931 modified-Gothic limestone landmark by Holmes & Flinn, with roots going back to a 1903 Andrew Carnegie grant
- Member of the Cooperative Computer Services (CCS) shared Polaris catalog — one card borrows across dozens of Chicago-area libraries
- Public 3D printing available to Highland Park cardholders to turn digital designs into plastic objects
- Borrowable museum passes plus curbside pickup and home delivery for residents
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Highland Park cardholders can stream, download and research free through the library's apps and Illinois's statewide IRIS program:
📚 Services
- Fine-free borrowing on items checked out at the library
- 3D printing for Highland Park cardholders
- Borrowable museum passes for area cultural institutions
- Curbside pickup and home delivery for residents
- Interlibrary loan and access across the Cooperative Computer Services (CCS) network
- Meeting rooms for community and individual use
- Public computer lab, free Wi-Fi and printing
🎸 Programs
- Youth Services storytimes and early-literacy programs for children and families
- Teen programs and collections
- Adult book clubs and author programs
- Technology and 3D-printing help
- Community and cultural events
📍 Nearby Libraries in the Chicago Area
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Highland Park · Browse all Illinois libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Highland Park Public Library charge late fines?
No. The library is fine-free and does not charge overdue fines on items checked out at Highland Park. You are still responsible for returning materials and for replacement costs if an item is lost or damaged, but everyday late returns will not cost you anything.
How old is the Highland Park Public Library and its building?
The library has served Highland Park since 1888. Its first dedicated building came from a 1903 Andrew Carnegie grant, and the current modified-Gothic Wisconsin-limestone building on Laurel Avenue, designed by the Chicago firm Holmes & Flinn, opened in 1931. A Children's Wing was added in 1960 and a larger adult wing in 1976.
Can I use my Highland Park library card at other libraries?
Yes. Highland Park belongs to Cooperative Computer Services (CCS), a shared Polaris catalog consortium of Chicago-area libraries, so your card lets you request and borrow materials from dozens of member libraries and pick them up in Highland Park.
What can I stream or download for free with a Highland Park card?
Cardholders can use Libby/OverDrive for e-books, audiobooks and magazines, hoopla for movies, music and comics with no waitlists, and Kanopy for up to 10 films a month. Every Illinois resident can also research through the statewide IRIS database program.
🎨 This library lends museum passes. See how library museum passes work and find other libraries that lend passes museum passes by state.
🔨 This library has a makerspace / 3D printing. See how library makerspaces and 3D printing work and find other libraries with a makerspace makerspaces 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.
📅 This library has meeting & community rooms. See how library meeting rooms work — booking, policies and fees — and find other libraries with meeting or community rooms meeting rooms by state.
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✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.