Tour: The New York Public Library's Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

Discover the flagship building of The New York Public Library—one of the world’s great libraries. Our docent-led tours are an excellent way to see highlights of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, the landmark location on Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street that houses the Library’s outstanding research collections in the humanities and social sciences. A magnificent example of the Beaux-Arts style of architecture, this library has symbolized the democratic ideal of free and open access to knowledge since it opened to the public in 1911. Official tours are the only way to get group access to many of the Library’s must-see spaces—including the historic Rose Main Reading Room.

Book now for our free one-hour building tour highlighting the history, architecture, and collections of this magnificent Beaux-Arts building. Each tour is restricted to 25 people. Please email visitorexperience@nypl.org with any questions or concerns.

On the day of your tour, you'll want to check in for the experience at the Information Desk in the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building Visitor Center. Please arrive at least 5 minutes before the stated tour time. Any ticket holders arriving 10 minutes or more past the stated start time will forfeit their spot.

Please Note: Beginning September 8th 2024, Tickets will now go on Sale at 10am on Sunday Mornings as opposed to the previous release time at midnight.

Please observe the following while on the Tour:

• no speaking while visiting Reading Rooms


• Camera shutters should be set to silent & without flash.


• Photos should be only of the architecture and never of staff or researchers


• all attendees must have on a tour sticker for the duration of the tour

In an effort to ensure maximum availability for the building tours, Group Tours must be booked separately. Any group attempting to circumvent this policy will have their tickets canceled.

Delve deeper into the Library’s collections, exhibitions, and resources, including the Polonsky Exhibition of The New York Public Library’s Treasures, with our digital guide on Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app.

Discover The New York Public Library.

Don't forget to visit our exhibitions:

The Polonsky Exhibition of The New York Public Library's Treasures 

Located in Gottesman Hall, we offer tours of our renowned Treasures Exhibit twice per day:

Monday-Saturday 12:30pm and 3:30pm Sunday-2:00pm (Beginning in Sept)

Two NEW Exhibitions begin September 6th on the Third Floor:

Line and Thread: Prints and Textiles from 1600 to Present

Byron: A Life in Motion