St. Louis Public Library, Saint Louis

The St. Louis Public Library was founded as a members-only private library in 1865 with a collection of 1,500 books. It was opened to the public in 1874 and reestablished as a publicly supported free lending library in 1893-94, by which time the collection included 90,000 books. In 1901, Andrew Carnegie made a large donation which was used for expansion, including building the current central library.

By 1938 the collection included 900,000 items, and by 2014, 4,600,000 items. Nowadays the central Saint Louis Public Library is one of the most significant buildings from the early 20th century in the city. It was designed by architect Cass Gilbert in 1912. The structure houses a vast collection of books in various fields of study. The Library regularly hosts organized events such as authors' readings, live music concerts and others.

Why You Should Visit:
A goldmine for historians and anyone who just want to learn something unique about Saint Louis.
The building is amazing, the books are great and the opportunity/options to read, play games, eat and just hang out are endless.

Tip:
Make sure to check out the events they hold at the Public Library on their website.