Milwaukee Public Library – Central Library

Historic Central Library celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2023! Central Library will participate in Doors Open on Saturday, September 23rd and will feature two guided tours: the 4th floor former museum offices from 10am to 4pm, and the Green Roof in the afternoon.

Self-guided tours include a historical tour of the building, with photos to compare then and now, an all-new MPL staff art exhibit, and viewing the Old Board Room and the Chinese Room, both of which have lovely architectural details including mosaic floors.

Ticketed tours will feature the underground storage area (the tiers), the Wisconsin Avenue dome, and the Wisconsin Architectural Archive. This collection includes plans of over 12,000 buildings designed by Wisconsin architects, including Milwaukee’s Gas Light Building, the Eagles Club and the Basilica of St. Josaphat. Attendees will hear about the history of the WAA and see some plans up close.

The Dome tour requires climbing narrow stairs, all other areas are fully accessible.

The Milwaukee Public Library was founded in 1878. After several moves, the Central Library was built in response to the need for more spacious quarters. It opened its doors to the public on October 3, 1898 as a shared space with the Milwaukee Public Museum.  The architectural firm of Ferry and Clas won a nationwide design competition and built a Neo-Renaissance style U-shaped building. The original structure is a combination of French and Italian Renaissance styles built of Bedford limestone. Much of the intricate outside carving was done by craftsmen standing on scaffolding. Interior materials include mahogany and oak hardwoods, brass, Sienna marble, plaster, stucco, tesserae tile and scagliola.  Several additions help make up the block-long building that stands today. The most recent addition to the building was completed in 1957 and added two stories above and four levels below ground. The most recently added feature to the building’s exterior is a green roof with solar panels.  Central Library has been designated a landmark by the Milwaukee Historic Preservation Commission and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Learn more about Historic Central Library here: http://www.mpl.org/content/pdfs/HistoricCentralLibrary.pdf