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Library · New Haven, Connecticut
Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library
Yale’s rare book and manuscript library, opened in 1963, with thin marble walls that let light through. It displays a Gutenberg Bible and Audubon’s Birds of America.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Discover
About Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library
The Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library opened in 1963, designed by Gordon Bunshaft of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. From the outside it looks like a windowless box supported on four piers; the walls are Vermont marble panels so thin that, from the interior, daylight passes through with a golden tone, protecting the books from direct sun.
In the center of the building, a six-story glass tower holds thousands of rare books, visible from the exhibition hall. It is one of the largest libraries in the world dedicated to rare books and manuscripts.
In the hall are on permanent display a copy of the Gutenberg Bible, one of the first books printed with movable type in Europe, and John James Audubon’s Birds of America, with life-size bird prints; the pages are rotated periodically. Temporary exhibitions show manuscripts, letters and books from the collection.
In the sunken plaza beside the library there is a marble sculpture garden by Isamu Noguchi, visible from the library’s ground floor.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
30 minutes to an hour.
Best time
On sunny days, when light passes through the marble walls. The library opens on set days and hours and closes during some periods of the university calendar; confirm before you go.
How to get there
It’s on Wall Street, in the center of the campus, a few minutes’ walk from the New Haven Green. There is no admission fee for the exhibition hall.
Tip
Spend a few minutes in the exhibition hall looking at the walls to see the effect of the light on the marble. Large backpacks may need to be left in the checkroom.
Official website
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library
What does the Beinecke Library have?
Rare books and manuscripts, with a Gutenberg Bible and Audubon’s Birds of America on display in the main hall, plus temporary exhibitions.
Is the Beinecke Library open to the public?
Yes, the exhibition hall is open to the public without charge on set days and hours. Confirm before you go.
Why doesn’t the Beinecke Library have windows?
To protect the books from direct light. The walls are thin marble that lets diffuse light into the interior.