Brown County Central Library
🏢 Brown County Library System · Green Bay, Wisconsin
Brown County Central Library
The downtown headquarters of the Brown County Library system, the Central Library has anchored 515 Pine Street in Green Bay since 1974 — a full-service branch with a MakerSpace, a deep Local History & Genealogy collection, and evening hours until 8 p.m. four nights a week.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–8pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–8pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–8pm |
| Thursday | 9am–8pm |
| Friday | 9am–5pm |
| Saturday | 10am–4pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 515 Pine Street, Green Bay, WI 54301
Phone: (920) 448-4400
Website: browncountylibrary.org
Plus Code: 86PHGX7Q+VW (Green Bay, WI)
📱 Scan for directions
Point your phone camera at the code to open turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps.
👋 Use the Library Online
📍 Plan your visit
🚉 Getting there
515 Pine St, Green Bay, WI 54301. Get transit & driving directions → (live subway, bus & car routes).
🚘 Parking
Free parking lot, free street parking, paid parking lot, metered street parking nearby.
♿ Accessibility
Includes assistive hearing loop, wheelchair-accessible entrance, accessible parking.
⭐ Visitor rating
4.4 / 5 from 186 Google reviews.
🕑 Best time to go
Usually calmest soon after opening; busiest around 1 pm.
Visit details from the library’s Google Business Profile, verified October 2026 — confirm on official page before a special-date trip.
📖 About Brown County Central Library
The Brown County Central Library is the flagship, headquarters branch of the Brown County Library, a countywide public library system serving greater Green Bay from downtown at 515 Pine Street. Its roots run back to the Green Bay Public Library founded in 1889 (renamed the Rufus B. Kellogg Library in 1896), whose 1903 Carnegie building on South Jefferson Street was the first Carnegie-funded library in Wisconsin. In 1968 Brown County consolidated the Kellogg and De Pere libraries into one integrated, county-owned system, and in 1974 the Central Library moved into its current Pine Street home; the system was later named National Library of the Year in 1994 and Wisconsin Library of the Year in 1980 and 1993. Today Central is the largest of the system's branches, sharing one catalog and one library card across every Brown County location and housing a public MakerSpace, meeting and study rooms, and the county's Local History & Genealogy collection.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Downtown headquarters branch of the countywide Brown County Library, at 515 Pine Street since 1974
- Public MakerSpace with 3D printers, sewing machines and creative technology, run in partnership with the nonprofit maker organization Proto
- Local History & Genealogy collection documenting Green Bay and Brown County
- One shared catalog and one library card work across every Brown County Library branch
- Open late until 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday for after-work and after-school visits
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
A Brown County Library card streams, downloads and researches free through Wisconsin's shared collections:
📚 Services
- Public MakerSpace (3D printing, sewing machines & creative tech, in partnership with Proto)
- Local History & Genealogy collection and research help
- Meeting rooms and study spaces (reservable up to 60 days ahead)
- Public computers, laptops & free high-speed Wi-Fi
- Printing, copying, scanning and faxing
- Early-literacy and lifelong-learning programs for all ages
🎸 Programs
- Children's storytimes and early-literacy programs
- Summer reading program
- Teen and adult MakerSpace workshops
- Local history and genealogy research sessions
- Community and cultural programming year-round
📍 Nearby Libraries in Wisconsin
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Green Bay · Browse all Wisconsin libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Central Library building on Pine Street open?
The Brown County Central Library opened at 515 Pine Street in downtown Green Bay in 1974, replacing the earlier Rufus B. Kellogg Public Library, which closed in 1973. It serves as the downtown headquarters of the Brown County Library system.
What is the library's connection to Wisconsin's first Carnegie library?
The system traces its roots to the Green Bay Public Library of 1889, later renamed the Rufus B. Kellogg Library, whose 1903 Carnegie building was the first Carnegie-funded library in Wisconsin. The county consolidated its libraries into a single county-owned system in 1968, the first of its kind in the state.
Where is the Brown County Central Library, and what are its hours?
Central is downtown at 515 Pine Street, Green Bay, WI 54301, phone (920) 448-4400. It is open 9 a.m.–8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Friday, and 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Saturday, and it is closed on Sunday.
What is the MakerSpace at the Central Library?
The Central Library hosts a public MakerSpace with tools like 3D printers and sewing machines for creative and hands-on projects, operated in partnership with Proto, a nonprofit makerspace organization that shares the space. It gives Brown County residents a place to prototype, build and learn new fabrication skills.
Can I use my Brown County card at other library branches?
Yes. The Central Library is the headquarters of the countywide Brown County Library, and a single card and shared catalog work at every Brown County branch. You can place holds online and have items delivered to whichever branch is most convenient.
Does the Central Library have local history and genealogy resources?
Yes. Central holds the system's Local History & Genealogy collection, which documents Green Bay and Brown County and supports family-history and local research. The library's roots reach back to the 1889 Green Bay Public Library and Wisconsin's first Carnegie building (1903), making it a natural home for the county's historical materials.
📜 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 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.
✎ Notice something out of date? Suggest a correction and we’ll verify and update it.
✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.