Docent Tours of Central Library | Los Angeles Public Library

Docent Tours of Central Library | Los Angeles Public Library
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Central Library
Visit Los Angeles Public Library's historic Central Library. Enjoy the
art and architecture
of the 1926 Bertram Goodhue Building with its distinctive sphinxes and rooftop pyramid. Wander through the 1993 Tom Bradley Wing, designed by architect Norman Pfeiffer, and gaze at the 8-story atrium with its whimsical chandeliers. Learn about the library's comprehensive collections. All tours are free.
Free In-person Docent-led Art and Architecture Tours of the historic Central Library are available on a limited schedule. Please see the Upcoming Tours section below for the dates and times of all tours. Meet your docent in the Main Lobby in front of the Library Store. Tours are one hour in length.
Group and Book Club Tours
Schedule a group tour for your group of 8 or more. To schedule a tour or for more information, email your requested dates to
docents@lapl.org
or call 213-228-7168 for in-person tours or
lapldocents1@gmail.com
for virtual tours via Zoom. A group tour requires at least four weeks’ advance notice.
To book a class visit for students in preschool through Grade 5, please call 213-228-7250 or email
children@lapl.org
. Visit
Group Visits
for more information.
Ofrecemos visitas guiadas a la Biblioteca Central en español para grupos de 8 personas o más. Escríbenos a
docents@lapl.org
o llama al teléfono 213-228-7168 para más información.
Garden Tour
Custom group tours of the gardens around Central Library are available upon request. To schedule, email your requested dates to
docents@lapl.org
or call 213-228-7168. A group tour requires at least four weeks’ advance notice.
Enjoy the 360 Virtual Tour
Upcoming Tours
Central Library
April 23, 2026
12:30 PM
to
1:30 PM
Docent-led L.A. Central Library Art & Architecture Tour
Take an hour-long tour through the Los Angeles Central Library. Your docent guide will share stories about the history, art, and architecture of L.A.'s landmark downtown library. Meet your docent in the Main Lobby in front of the Library Store.
Central Library
April 24, 2026
12:30 PM
to
1:30 PM
Docent-led L.A. Central Library Art & Architecture Tour
Take an hour-long tour through the Los Angeles Central Library. Your docent guide will share stories about the history, art, and architecture of L.A.'s landmark downtown library.
Meet your docent in the Main Lobby in front of the Library Store.
Central Library
April 25, 2026
11:00 AM
to
12:00 PM
Docent-led Central Library Art & Architecture Tour
Take an hour-long tour through the Los Angeles Central Library. Your docent guide will share stories about the history, art, and architecture of L.A.'s landmark downtown library.Meet your docent in the Main Lobby in front of the Library Store.
Central Library
April 25, 2026
2:00 PM
to
3:00 PM
Docent-led Central Library Art & Architecture Tour
Take an hour-long tour through the Los Angeles Central Library. Your docent guide will share stories about the history, art, and architecture of L.A.'s landmark downtown library.Meet your docent in the Main Lobby in front of the Library Store.
Central Library
April 26, 2026
2:00 PM
to
3:00 PM
Docent-led L.A. Central Library Art & Architecture Tour
Take an hour-long tour through the Los Angeles Central Library. Your docent guide will share stories about the history, art, and architecture of L.A.'s landmark downtown library.

Meet your docent in the Main Lobby in front of the Library Store.
Central Library
April 26, 2026
3:00 PM
to
4:00 PM
Docent-led L.A. Central Library Art & Architecture Tour
Take an hour-long tour through the Los Angeles Central Library. Your docent guide will share stories about the history, art, and architecture of L.A.'s landmark downtown library.

Meet your docent in the Main Lobby in front of the Library Store.
Central Library
April 28, 2026
12:30 PM
to
1:30 PM
Docent-led L.A. Central Library Art & Architecture Tour
Take an hour-long tour through the Los Angeles Central Library. Your docent guide will share stories about the history, art, and architecture of L.A.'s landmark downtown library. Meet your docent in the Main Lobby in front of the Library Store.
Central Library
April 29, 2026
12:30 PM
to
1:30 PM
Docent-led L.A. Central Library Art & Architecture Tour
Take an hour-long tour through the Los Angeles Central Library. Your docent guide will share stories about the history, art, and architecture of L.A.'s landmark downtown library. Meet your docent in the Main Lobby in front of the Library Store.
Robertson Branch Library
April 30, 2026
9:45 AM
to
11:15 AM
Pico- Robertson Walking Tour
Join us for an Art & Recreation Walking Tour of the Pico-Robertson neighborhood! We’ll meet outside the library at 9:45 a.m. and stroll along Robertson Boulevard toward Pico Boulevard. Along the way, we’ll visit two local art shops, where you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at their studios and...
Central Library
April 30, 2026
12:30 PM
to
1:30 PM
Docent-led L.A. Central Library Art & Architecture Tour
Take an hour-long tour through the Los Angeles Central Library. Your docent guide will share stories about the history, art, and architecture of L.A.'s landmark downtown library. Meet your docent in the Main Lobby in front of the Library Store.
All events
Books on Central Library
Los Angeles in Maps
Creason, Glen.
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Architecture Transformed: New Life for Old Buildings
Greer, Nora Richter.
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Bunker Hill in the Rearview Mirror: The Rise, Fall and Rise Again of an Urban Neighborhood
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Feels Like Home: Reflections on Central Library
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Review
L is for Librarian: The ABCs of Los Angeles Central Library
Lendroth, Susan
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L.A. Landmarks: Lost and Almost Lost
Olnick, Cindy.
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Los Angeles Central Library POPS: Celebrating a Century of the Light of Learning
Rice, Christina
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Los Angeles Central Library: A History of Its Art and Architecture
Gee, Stephen
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Shades of L.A.: Pictures from Ethnic Family Albums
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Catalog
Songs in the Key of Los Angeles: Sheet Music from the Collection of the Los Angeles Public Library
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Catalog
Spine: An Account of the Jud Fine Art Plan at the Maguire Gardens, Central Library, Los Angeles
Fine, Jud
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Catalog
The Library Book
Orlean, Susan
On the surface,
The Library Book
is about the history of the Los Angeles Public Library, particularly about the devastating fire
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OverDrive
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Catalog
The Light of Learning: An Illustrated History of the Los Angeles Public Library
Soter, Bernadette Dominique
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Catalog
The Los Angeles Central Library: Building an Architectural Icon, 1872-1933
Breisch, Kenneth A,
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Catalog
To Live and Dine in L.A.: Menus and the Making of the Modern City
Kun, Josh.
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Catalog
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