Louisville Free Public Library, Louisville

Louisville Free Public Library, Louisville

The Louisville Free Public Library (LFPL) is the largest public library system in Kentucky. Officially opened in 1908, the library's main site resides south of Broadway in downtown Louisville. Additional branches were added over time, including the Western Colored Branch, which was the first Carnegie-housed library in the U.S. built solely for African Americans. In 1950, LFPL became the first library in the nation to put its own FM-radio station on the air – WFPL.

In 1969, a $4 million north building was added to the Revival-style Carnegie structure. This provided an additional 110,000 square feet (10,000 square meters) of floor space, compared to the 42,000 in the original building. At one time LFPL had over 30 branches but, because of lack of funding, a number of branches were forced to close. Currently, there are 16 branches, in addition to the main library site. Internet services and inter-library loan have helped to make up for fewer branches.
Sight description based on Wikipedia.

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Louisville Free Public Library on Map

Sight Name: Louisville Free Public Library
Sight Location: Louisville, USA (See walking tours in Louisville)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Louisville, Kentucky

Create Your Own Walk in Louisville

Create Your Own Walk in Louisville

Creating your own self-guided walk in Louisville is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Historical Old Louisville Walking Tour

Historical Old Louisville Walking Tour

The third largest urban district in the United States and the largest preservation district rich in Victorian-era buildings, Old Louisville is an ideal place in which to travel through the history of the city. It is where the oldest and most peculiar architecture, featuring Romanesque, Queen Anne, Italianate styles, and other reminders of the past are concentrated. Among them St. James Court,...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles
Louisville Architecture Walking Tour

Louisville Architecture Walking Tour

Louisville, KY is a city famous for its architectural marvels, featuring a combination of styles and epochs, sizes and artistic directions, adding a great deal of diversity and uniqueness to the city panorama. Architecture buffs will be delighted at a chance to admire splendid Romanesque, Neo-Gothic, Classic Revival and Beaux-Arts edifices. Take this self-guided walk to explore some of the most...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.8 Km or 1.7 Miles
Louisville Introduction Walking Tour

Louisville Introduction Walking Tour

Poised on the banks of the Ohio River, Kentucky's largest city Louisville blends small-town charm with urban sophistication. The first European settlement in the vicinity of modern-day Louisville was on Corn Island, established in 1778 by Col. George Rogers Clark, credited as the founder of the city. Two years later, the Virginia General Assembly approved the town charter of Louisville. The...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.5 Km or 2.8 Miles