Stillwater Public Library
🏢 City of Stillwater · Stillwater, Minnesota
Stillwater Public Library
Housed in a 1902 Beaux-Arts Carnegie building high above downtown Stillwater, the Stillwater Public Library pairs its historic rotunda with a 2006 addition, a rooftop terrace over the St. Croix River valley, and a Library of Things — open until 8 p.m. four nights a week at 224 3rd Street North.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10am–8pm |
| Tuesday | 10am–8pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–8pm |
| Thursday | 10am–8pm |
| Friday | 10am–5pm |
| Saturday | 10am–5pm |
| Sunday | Closed (summer); 1pm–5pm during the school year |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 224 3rd Street North, Stillwater, MN 55082
Phone: (651) 275-4338
Website: library.stillwatermn.gov
Plus Code: 86Q9355Q+2V (Stillwater, MN)
📱 Scan for directions
Point your phone camera at the code to open turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps.
👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Stillwater Public Library
The Stillwater Public Library is the municipal public library of Stillwater, Minnesota, the historic river town on the St. Croix known as the 'Birthplace of Minnesota.' Library service in the community dates to the Stillwater Library Association of 1859 and became free to the public in 1897. In 1901 Andrew Carnegie pledged funds toward a new building; the cornerstone was laid on November 13, 1902, and the Beaux-Arts library designed by the firm Patton & Miller opened on December 15, 1903, on a bluff above downtown. A 1973 addition roughly doubled the floor space by adding north and south wings, and a major 2006 expansion added about 19,000 square feet to the east of and beneath the original building, preserving the historic upper level and rotunda while adding meeting rooms, a gallery, and an outdoor rooftop terrace overlooking the valley. Owned and operated by the City of Stillwater, the library is an Associate Library of the Metropolitan Library Service Agency (MELSA), giving cardholders access to shared digital collections and a card that borrows across the Twin Cities metro. Today it serves the community with a shared Sirsi catalog, a Library of Things, meeting and study space, and programs for children, teens, and adults.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Set in a 1902 Beaux-Arts Carnegie building (opened December 1903, designed by Patton & Miller) perched on a bluff above downtown Stillwater
- A 2006 expansion added about 19,000 square feet plus a rooftop terrace with views over the St. Croix River valley, while preserving the historic rotunda
- Library of Things lends telescopes, laptops, Wi-Fi hotspots, nature backpacks, memory kits, and book-club kits
- Associate Library of MELSA (Metropolitan Library Service Agency) — one card borrows across the Twin Cities metro
- Open late until 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday for after-work and after-school visits
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Stillwater cardholders can stream, download, and research free through Minnesota's metro and statewide collections:
📚 Services
- Library of Things (telescopes, laptops, Wi-Fi hotspots, nature backpacks, memory kits, book-club kits)
- Shared Sirsi online catalog with holds and account access
- Meeting rooms, study areas, and a rentable rooftop terrace & gallery for events
- Reference, research & readers' advisory help
- Community genealogy classes
- Job-search and career assistance
- Language-learning resources
- Public computers, free Wi-Fi & printing
🎸 Programs
- Storytimes and early-literacy programs for children
- Teen programs and activities
- Adult author events, book clubs, and talks
- Community genealogy classes
- Summer reading programs
- Rooftop terrace and gallery events
📍 Nearby Libraries in the East Metro
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Stillwater · Browse all Minnesota libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How old is the Stillwater Public Library building, and what makes it unusual?
The library occupies a Beaux-Arts Carnegie building whose cornerstone was laid on November 13, 1902; it opened to the public on December 15, 1903. Designed by the firm Patton & Miller, it sits on a bluff above downtown Stillwater rather than at street level, so visitors reach the historic rotunda by heading up from the street. A 1973 addition doubled the floor space, and a 2006 expansion added about 19,000 square feet along with a rooftop terrace over the St. Croix River valley.
Is the library open on Sundays?
Sunday hours are seasonal. During the school year the library is open Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., supported by the Stillwater Public Library Foundation, but it is closed on Sundays in summer, from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. The rest of the week it is open Monday through Thursday 10 a.m.–8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
What can I borrow from the Library of Things?
Beyond books and media, Stillwater Public Library lends a Library of Things that includes telescopes, laptops, Wi-Fi hotspots, nature backpacks, memory kits, and book-club kits. These items let cardholders try equipment and explore hobbies without buying gear — check availability in the online catalog or ask staff at the desk.
Can I use my Stillwater card at other Twin Cities libraries and online?
Yes. Stillwater Public Library is an Associate Library of the Metropolitan Library Service Agency (MELSA), so your card connects you to the shared metro digital collection. You can borrow eBooks, eAudiobooks, and eMagazines through Libby via the MELSA Twin Cities Metro eLibrary, stream content on hoopla, and research for free through ELM (the Electronic Library for Minnesota) from home.
📜 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 lends a “Library of Things.” See what you can borrow besides books and find other libraries with a Library of Things Library of Things 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.
