Last February, my husband and I went to Boston for a few days so he could scope out law schools. I don’t advise going there during that time of year; it was so frigid that my face stung the second I stepped outside. While that was my second time there and I think it’s a really great city, it’s probably best that we didn’t end up there. I don’t think I would have left the house in the winter.
Before heading to Boston, I read a travel guidebook that insisted a visit to the central branch of the Boston Public Library in Copley Square was a must-do. I didn’t go to it the first time I went to Boston, so I made to go this time. The central Boston Public Library branch is actually divided across two buildings. We went to the McKim building, which is what houses their research collections (of more than 1.7 million rare books and manuscripts!) and exhibits. The Johnson building is the main headquarters and functions as a regular library, though we didn’t go there.
The McKim building was constructed in 1895 and was restored in the early 1990s. It features opulent marble stairs and columns, murals by famous painters such as John Singer Sargent, and many ornate statues and ceilings. Following are some of the photos I took while visiting the McKim building.
The exterior of the McKim is actually quite unassuming:
The entrance area has many mosaics on the ceiling, all of which look similar but contain the name of a different writer at the bottom:
I took this up-close photo of the mosaic for Henry Wadsworth Longfellow:
The grand entrance is quite regal; it almost feels like you’re in a European palace.
From the ceilings to the floors, this building was ornate and stunning.
Lion statues honoring military members flank either side of the grand staircase.
Us on the second floor. I was loving how beautiful it was!
I looked outside and saw that the building had an interior courtyard. I wish it was a different time of year–I’m sure it’s beautiful in the spring!
After ascending the stairs, I saw this strange but beautiful book display.
The library had intricate gilded ceilings and murals with symbols from a mix of religions and cultures.
While at the library, there was a large Edgar Allan Poe exhibit. The writer was born in Boston, and this exhibit has dozens of hand-written letters from Poe. Here is one of them:
There was also an exhibit of incredibly complex and artistic dioramas. I wish I could remember the artist’s name.
While much of this library consists of exhibits, there are also rooms where you can walk through aisles of books and read to your heart’s content.
Have you visited the Boston Public Library? What did you think?
