🏢 Cleveland Public Library — Cleveland, Ohio

Main Library

The downtown flagship of Cleveland Public Library, whose 1925 Walker & Weeks landmark and the 1997 Louis Stokes Wing together anchor an entire block of Superior Avenue and hold one of the largest public research collections in the country.

📖 About Main Library

Cleveland Public Library's Main Library occupies a full city block of Superior Avenue between East 3rd and East 6th Streets, spanning two connected buildings and the garden between them. The historic Main building, designed by the Cleveland firm Walker & Weeks, opened to the public on May 6, 1925, and was renovated in 1999; famously, almost no wood was used in its original construction so the structure would be as fireproof as possible. The eleven-floor Louis Stokes Wing at 525 Superior, dedicated in 1997, is named for the Cleveland native who became the first African American elected to Congress from Ohio, and adds more than 30 miles of shelving. Between the two stands the Eastman Reading Garden, an urban oasis dotted with commissioned public art. As the third-largest public research library in the United States, the Main Library divides its subject departments across both buildings, from Special Collections to the Center for Local and Global History. Free guided tours take visitors through the architecture, the chess sets and miniature books of Special Collections, and the tenth-floor city views of the Stokes Wing.

⭐ What makes this branch special

• Historic 1925 Walker & Weeks building paired with the 1997 Louis Stokes Wing, connected by an underground passage
• The Eastman Reading Garden, an outdoor mini-park set with commissioned public art from thirteen local and national artists
• Special Collections known for its chess sets and miniature books, plus a lobby globe recreating a map by Leonardo da Vinci
• A downtown drive-up window and free staff-led tours of the two-building campus

📱 Free with a Cleveland Public Library Card

Any Ohio resident can get a CPL card free and unlock:

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❓ Frequently Asked Questions