Central Library, DTLA

The Central Library in DTLA is a treasure. The building was constructed in 1926 and renovated from 1988 to 1993. It has 538,000 square feet (HUGE!) and capacity for 1,400 people. It is a wonderful landmark in downtown, LA. A couple of weeks ago, I didn’t send Víctor to school so we could have a little adventure and we went there instead.

The children section is heaven. It has so many books of all origins, years and writers. It is amazing to see. My children love it. We don’t go there often because it is a little bit of a drive, but when I want to do something with them on a weekday, I like to take them there. If there is no story time going on, the Children’s section can be quite empty. When we went two weeks ago, there was not one child in sight. This gave my kids plenty of opportunity to explore, run and talk without disturbing anybody. It was nice to have this whole section of amazing children books for ourselves, but it also made me feel sad realizing that so few people take the time to enjoy such a beautiful treasure.

Every author you can imagine is in this library, and I appreciate living in a city where my children have access to them. Also, the library on itself is beautiful. The building is big and has amazing murals and details all over the place.

After visiting the library, you can go and have coffee in any of the hundreds of restaurants or coffee houses around Downtown.

Oh, hi there!

Things you need to know before you visit:

• Parking is $1 per hour with validation. You can access parking via Flower St.
• Entering the library and renting books is free. You just need to be a LA Library member.
• Check their website for story time schedule or special events.

Address:

630 W. 5th Street

Los Angeles, CA 90071

Phone:

(213) 228-7000

Hours of Service