The United States is home to thousands of public, private and university-owned libraries – and they’re each beautiful in their own way. We’ve drilled down 10 of the best examples of great architectural styles, from neoclassical to brutalist.

The Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library is Yale University’s principal source of literary archives, early manuscripts and rare books, and it’s used by students and researchers around the world. Designed by architect Gordon Bunshaft of <a href="http://www.som.com">Skidmore, Owings & Merrill</a> with the goal of filtering daylight to protect the books, the building was completed in 1963 and constructed out of marble and granite sourced from Vermont. This unique geometric exterior stands in juxtaposition to the neoclassical and neogothic architecture in the university courtyard.

One of the world’s largest libraries of its kind, the <a href="http://beinecke.library.yale.edu">Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library</a> is Yale University’s principal source of literary archives, early manuscripts and rare books with a highly extensive collection used by students and researchers from all over the world. Designed by architect Gordon Bunshaft of <a href="http://www.som.com">Skidmore, Owings and Merrill</a>, the building was completed in 1963 and constructed out of marble and granite sourced from Vermont, as well as bronze and glass. The library’s powerful, geometric exterior stands in juxtaposition to the old-world, neo-Classical and neo-Gothic architecture in the shared quadrangle, and simultaneously functions to filter daylight and protect the millions of priceless volumes enclosed within the building. Items in the library's permanent collection include The Gutenburg Bible and Audubon’s Birds of America.

Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, 121 Wall Street, New Haven, CT. Image shot 08/2019. Exact date unknown.

Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, New Haven

Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library

The <a href="http://www.bpl.org/">Boston Public Library,</a> which opened in 1854, was the first free public library in the United States. Its design has evolved over the years, with architect Charles Follen McKim completing his palace for the people in the present Copley Square location in 1895, before architect Philip Johnson designed an addition in 1972. The library is considered an example of great American beaux-arts classicism – and, indeed, it became a national historic landmark in 1986. Inside the building are murals, collections of rare books, prints, manuscripts and maps, as well as gallery space.

Founded in 1848, the <a href="http://www.bpl.org/">Boston Public Library</a> was the first publicly supported free municipal library in the entire world. It was also the first library that allowed book lending to visitors – talk about revolutionary! Bookworms and architecture lovers alike should stop by the library and peek into the remarkable Bates Hall. Visitors can also grab coffee or tea from the café and sit in the courtyard during the spring, summer, and fall.

Bates Hall at Boston Public Library Boston MA

Boston Public Library

The Boston Public Library

A division of the Johns Hopkins University, the <a href="http://peabodyevents.library.jhu.edu">George Peabody Library</a> opened in 1878 as part of the Peabody Institute – a free public library, with lecture series, music conservatory and art collection dedicated to the citizens of Baltimore. The library was designed by local architect <a href="http://baltimorearchitecture.org/biographies/edmund-george-lind/">Edmund George Lind</a> in collaboration with the institute’s first director, Dr Nathaniel H Morison – and it’s widely known for its dramatic interior, characterized by soaring ceilings and five stories of intricate cast-iron balconies.

No list of Baltimore libraries would be complete without this 19th-century masterpiece. One of the most <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="">beautiful libraries in the country</a>, if not the world, the stack room of the George Peabody Library is rightly regarded as a “cathedral of books,” with a black-and-white marble floor, gold-leaf embellishments, five levels of intricate cast-iron balconies and a skylight. Housed within the Peabody Institute of Music, the research library is free and open to the public for limited hours as part of Johns Hopkins University’s Sheridan Libraries.

Interior of the 19thC George Peabody Library, Peabody Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

George Peabody Library

Located on the central coast of California, <a href="http://hearstcastle.org">Hearst Castle</a> was once the private residence of newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst and designed by the prolific California-based architect Julia Morgan. Building work started in 1919, and it is now both a National and California Historic Landmark. It was built to reflect the European styles of architecture that Hearst so admired, and it displays his large collection of art, books and antiques. The 80ft (24m) library holds approximately 4,000 books, while the study houses his collection of medieval texts, paintings, statues and textiles.

Newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst called his sprawling San Simeon, California estate "La Cuesta Encantada," or "Enchanted Hill." The elaborate mansion he commissioned architect Julia Morgan to design encompassed 165 rooms, as well as walkways, pools, and terraces by 1947 when Hearst had to leave the property for health reasons. Highlights of the unfinished but epic grounds of <a href="http://hearstcastle.org/">Hearst Castle</a> include the Gothic library, lush gardens, a no longer functional private zoo, and Hearst's storied art collection.

 

California, USA, 09 Jun 2013: Grand study room with attached library at Hearst Castle, which is a National and California Historical Landmark opened f

Hearst Castle

Founded in 1800, the <a href="http://www.loc.gov">Library of Congress</a> is the oldest federal cultural institution in <a href="https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/">America</a>. Its original building, which stood until 1814 before it was destroyed by British troops, was commissioned by the second president of the United States, John Adams. His successor, Thomas Jefferson, then offered his personal library – equipped with some of America’s most valuable literary pieces in his possession – and this served as the foundation for the Library of Congress that we see today. The interior of the beaux-arts building features marble, bronze, gold and mahogany; more than 50 American artists contributed to the hand-carved sculptural and painted decorations.

When the <a href="http://www.loc.gov">Library of Congress</a> opened in 1897 it became the largest library in the world. The current building replaced the original library, commissioned by former president John Adams, which stood until 1814 when British troops destroyed its contents in a fire. Thomas Jefferson subsequently offered up his personal library - equipped with some of America’s most valuable literary pieces in his possession - as a substitution, which served as the foundation for the Library of Congress that stands today. The building features a lavish Beaux-Arts aesthetic, the interior ornately adorned with lasting, high quality materials such as marble, bronze, gold and mahogany. Over 50 American artists contributed to the hand-carved sculptural and painted decoration, enforcing the building's grand, patriotic ideology.

WASHINGTON - APRIL 12, 2015: Entrance hall ceiling in the Library of Congress. The library officially serves the U.S. Congress.

Library of Congress, Independence Avenue

Library of Congress

The <a href="http://www.lapl.org/">Los Angeles Central Library</a> is the largest public library in the west of the United States. Built in 1926 by Bertram Goodhue, it takes design cues from ancient ziggurat structure, with geometric and symbolic motifs throughout the building. On top of the library is a distinctive, tiled pyramid with a golden hand holding a torch, while the interior features works in various mediums by a range of artists, including the main lobby’s intricately painted ceiling by Renee Petropoulos.

The <a href="http://www.lapl.org/">Los Angeles Central Library</a> is the largest public library in the western region of the United States. Built in 1926 by <a href="http://architecture.about.com/od/architectsaz/p/goodhue.htm">Bertram Goodhue</a>, the building’s architecture is intended to infer the illumination of learning - thus it incorporates stylistic elements most apparently from ancient <a href="http://theculturetrip.com/africa/egypt/">Egypt</a>, one of history’s most enlightened civilizations. The façade possesses a sublime essence reminiscent of a ziggurat, with geometric and symbolic motifs throughout the building. Atop the library is a distinctive, tiled pyramid with a golden hand holding a torch. The interior features works in various mediums by a range of artists, including the main lobby's intricately painted ceiling by Renee Petropoulos, ethereal chandeliers designed by Therman Statom, and fairy tale-inspired murals and stone carvings.

Foyer inside Los Angeles Central Library, Los Angeles, California, USA

Los Angeles Central Library, 630 West 5th Street

Los Angeles Central Library

The Stephen A Schwarzman Building serves as the main branch of the <a href="http://www.nypl.org/">New York Public Library</a>, a beaux-arts landmark building next to Bryant Park on Fifth Avenue and 42nd street in Manhattan. Construction began in 1902 after architecture firm <a href="http://www.nyc-architecture.com/ARCH/ARCH-CarrereHastings.htm">Carrère & Hastings</a> won the library’s design competition. It cost a cool $9m to complete, and opened in 1911 to between 30,000 and 50,000 visitors. The building houses a comprehensive collection of historical items, from medieval manuscripts and ancient Japanese scrolls to baseball cards and comic books.

This is the big one! With some 53 million items, <a href="https://www.nypl.org/locations/schwarzman">NYPL</a> is famous worldwide and is a destination for scholars of every persuasion. With 209 branches and private and public funding, it is among the greatest accomplishments of library science. But forget all that for a moment; NYPL is perhaps the city’s most gorgeous triumph of architecture, and it<em> </em>is the permanent home of the original Winnie the Pooh stuffed bear along with his companions from the Hundred Acre Wood.

New York Public Library, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

New York Public Library Main Branch, New York

New York Public Library

Financier JP Morgan possessed boasted a comprehensive collection of art – from rare books and prints to ancient artefacts. In 1924, his son, JP Morgan Jr, donated his father’s library to the public and <a href="http://www.themorgan.org/about/history-of-the-morgan">the Morgan Library & Museum</a> was born. Located on Madison Avenue and 36th street in Manhattan, this extraordinary structure was built between 1902 and 1906 by Charles Follen McKim, and it occupies half the city block. Since 1924, several additions have been added to house a growing collection, including an annex in 1928, a brownstone in 1988 and an outdoor garden in 1991. Led by <a href="http://www.rpbw.com">Renzo Piano,</a> in 2006 the building underwent its most extensive renovation yet to improve visitor accessibility as well as gallery and archival space.

During his lifetime, financier extraordinaire Pierpont Morgan (you may know him as J.P. Morgan) harbored a private passion: collecting. His son, J.P. Morgan Jr., shared his father’s love with the world when he donated Morgan’s personal library to the public in 1924. Today, the <a href="http://www.themorgan.org">Morgan Library and Museum</a> comprises a museum, music venue, and library containing rare books, manuscripts, and more straight from Morgan’s own shelves.

New York. Manhattan. Morgan Library

The Morgan Library & Museum, New York

The Morgan Library and Museum

<p>In 1998, Seattle voted to improve all 22 branches of the <a href="http://www.spl.org">Seattle Public Library</a>. The location of the central library stayed the same, but was completely redeveloped by architect visionaries <a href="http://www.oma.eu">Rem Koolhaas</a> and <a href="http://www.rex-ny.com">Joshua Prince-Ramus</a>. Following the principle that form follows function, they created an accessible design that celebrates literature. Working closely with the public as well as the library board and staff, Koolhaas and Prince-Ramus revamped the entire library building, adding space and improving function. These days, the library houses over 1m items with an improved digital archive and more than 400 computers.</p>

The Seattle Central Library is one of the most notable structures standing in Seattle, WA. and earned a national AIA Honor Award for Architecture in 2005. Its crumpled-paper look was designed by Rem Koolhaas and Joshua Prince-Ramus of the Office of Metropolitan Architecture meant to appreciate books in the digital age. Inside, the library features a number of colorful spaces such as the bright orange floors in the Starbucks Teen Center and the bubble gum floors of the Faye G. Allen Children's Center. One of the less frequented but nevertheless spectacular spaces in the library is the Meeting Level, or what the public has titled, the "Red Hall". Lit dramatically, various shades of red line the floor, walls, and ceilings, of the hallway. While this may seem like an unconventional choice for an educational space, each door leads to neutral colored study and conference room.

The Seattle Public Library, Central Library,  in Seattle, Washington, USA.

The Red Hall at Seattle Central Library

Seattle Public Library

The University of California San Diego’s <a href="http://libraries.ucsd.edu">Geisel Library</a> is a brilliant brutalist build designed by <a href="http://www.archdaily.com/566563/ad-classics-geisel-library-william-l-pereira-and-associates/">William L Pereira & Associates.</a> This striking building primarily features concrete and glass, and looks right at home on the university’s modernist campus. From from 110ft (33.5m) at the tower’s apex, students can enjoy outstanding panoramic views of the campus.

The Geisel Library, built in 1970 and designed by William L. Pereira & Associates, sits on the campus of the University of California, San Diego. Since 1995, it's been going by its current name, which is a tribute to Theodor Geisel—better known by his pen name of Dr. Seuss—and Audrey, his wife. Several of Geisel's personal effects, including drawings, notebooks, photos, and more, are housed in the library's Dr. Seuss Collection. Audrey Geisel <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/1995-09-26/news/mn-50178_1_uc-san-diego">donated</a> the items, as well as a significant financial contribution, to the library following her husband's death in 1991.

San Diego, JUN 29: The famous Geisel Library of Universtiy of California San Diego on JUN 29, 2018 at San Diego, California

Geisel Library, San Diego

The Geisel Library

We take a look at 10 stunning libraries across America, from New York to California.

The 10 Most Beautiful Libraries in America

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