CHI (P) Tour of the Harold Washington Library
About this event
Join us for a docent led tour of the Harold Washington Library Centre
The Harold Washington Library appears in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest public library building in the world. In 2013 the architect and chairman of Hammond, Beeby and Babka, Thomas H. Beeby, won the prestigious Driehaus Architecture Prize for this and other projects.
The building features impressive architecture, art exhibits, and a variety of unique educational resources in addition to its traditional resources as part of the Chicago Public Library System. The building’s late-1900s architecture highlights 5 giant owl statues on the roof, which are symbolic of knowledge.
Within the building, you’ll find more than 1.2 million books here, but the library offers so much more. The 9th floor is home to the winter garden is a great place to enjoy a quiet moment. Local and international artwork adorns the halls, and the 9th floor houses the Special Collections and Preservation Division, which highlights the building’s namesake, Mayor Harold Washington, as well as temporary displays.
The City of Chicago’s Public Art Collection at the Harold Washington Library Center was funded through the City’s Percent-for-Art Program. The collection consists of over 50 works of art that are installed on every floor of the building. It is the single largest public art project in the City of Chicago’s history to date. The collection contains works in almost every artistic medium, addresses important architectural spaces in the building, recognizes major art movements associated with Chicago, memorializes the late Mayor Harold Washington and celebrates Chicago’s rich cultural diversity.
The library is easily accessible via CTA, located directly at the Harold Washington Library-State/Van Buren 'L' station (Brown, Orange, Pink, Purple lines).It is also one block south of the Jackson Red/Blue line subway stations and served by numerous bus routes, including #2, #6, #10, #29, #36, #62, #146, and #147.
Event Contact(s)
Rachel Kuhn
Registration Info
Registration is closed - Event is full
As this tour is now at capacity, please be considerate of your fellow members. If you need to cancel for any reason, please do so ASAP on the website so we can offer your spot to someone on the waitlist.
Registration cancellations will be accepted until Monday, April 6, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Capacity
20 Total Slots
Event is full - Waitlist available
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