Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

Welcome to the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

Exterior of the Stephen A. Schwarzman building with red banners displayed on the front.

The New York Public Library’s flagship location, the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, is one of the Library’s premier research centers, renowned for its extraordinary historical collections and its commitment to providing free and equal access to its resources. 

Learn more about research collections and services at the Schwarzman Building.

Start Your Journey at the Library's Visitor Center

Interior of the Visitor Center at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, featuring tables of digital displays and touchable/tactile objects, chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and panels of carved wood lining the walls.

Discover the Library’s legacy and collections through interactive exhibits and more in this new public space. Learn more.

Explore the Building: Download a Map | Descargue un mapa | 在此处下载大楼地图

Visit the Polonsky Exhibition of The New York Public Library's Treasures

Please note that the Polonsky Exhibition will be closed November 5–21 for a rotation. We apologize for the inconvenience.

For more than 125 years, The New York Public Library has collected, preserved, and made accessible the world’s knowledge. Now, for the first time, the Polonsky Exhibition of The New York Public Library’s Treasures, now open at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, showcases some of the most extraordinary items from the 56 million in our collections, inspiring and empowering visitors to discover, learn, and create new knowledge—today and in the years ahead. Learn more.

In the Spotlight

  • Exterior of the Stephen A. Schwarzman building flanked by greenery and featuring Fortitude the Lion in the foreground.

    Plan Your Visit

    Make the most of your visit to the Library’s flagship Fifth Avenue location!

    Please note that last entry to the building is 15 minutes before closure. See building hours above.

  • Hand holding a phone displaying the audio tour with the white marble Astor Hall in the background.

    New! Free Audio Tour & Digital Guide on Bloomberg Connects

    Download Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app, and take a self-guided tour on your mobile device to explore the history, architecture, and services offered at our Fifth Avenue locations.

  • The Rose Main Reading Room on a sunny day with a walkway dividing the room into two sections populated with long desks, chandeliers, domed windows, and a cloud-filled mural mounted on an ornate ceiling.

    Rose Main Reading Room

    We are pleased to welcome patrons to the historic Rose Main Reading Room for research and quiet study. If you're just visiting but would like to see the Rose Main Reading Room, sign up for a free daily guided tour or join us for visiting hour from 10 to 11 AM, Monday through Saturday. Final entry during visiting hour is 10:50 AM.

  • Shoichi Noma Reading Room at the Gregorian Center.

    Vartan Gregorian Center for Research in the Humanities

    Located on the second floor of the Schwarzman Building, the Gregorian Center offers research programs and classes, opportunities for long-term use of the collections, and support for researchers of all kinds.

Current Exhibitions

  • Polonsky Exhibition of The New York Public Library's Treasures

    Dark blue background with white and gold Treasures exhibition logo.

    Ongoing

    Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

    The Polonsky Exhibition of The New York Public Library’s Treasures showcases some of the most extraordinary items from the 56 million in …

  • ¡Wepa! Puerto Ricans in the World of Comics | ¡Wepa! Puertorriqueños en el mundo de los cómics

    collage de arte de cómics

    Through March 8, 2026

    Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

    Highlights from the Manuel Martínez Nazario Collection explore aspects of Puerto Rican life and culture through space and …

  • Niyū Yūrk: Middle Eastern and North African Lives in the City

    Arabic typescript

    Through March 8, 2026

    Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

    Niyū Yūrk explores the often overlooked history of Middle Eastern and North African immigration to New York City, reflecting on …

  • A Century of The New Yorker

    Two graphic squares side by side. On the left is the title "A Century of the New Yorker" over a light blue background; on the right is a graphic with black text over a white background

    Through February 21, 2026

    Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

    This yearlong exhibition will bring to life the people, stories, and ideas that made The New Yorker.

  • The Skeleton Caricatures of Posada | Las meras meras calaveras de Posada

    print of skeleton wearing a hat and pants with detailed background

    Ongoing

    Online only

    Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

    This online exhibition presents a selection of Posada’s calaveras and announces the digitization of the entirety of the Library’s Posada …

  • Pride & Privacy: LGBTQ+ Visibility in Library Collections

    Colorful lapel pins with positive messages including "Gay Power" and "Gay Revolution" against a black background.

    Ongoing

    Online only

    Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

    The lives of people who identify as LGBTQ+, more than those of others, have often historically been shaped by questions of visibility …

  • Banned: Censorship and the Freedom to Read

    BANNED CENSORSHIP AND THE FREEDOM TO READ

    Ongoing

    Online only

    Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

    This online exhibition, accompanied by a curriculum guide and temporary displays of material, explores censorship in the United States …

Events

See All

  • Getting Started with Archives

    Wednesday, November 5 | 12 PM

  • Getting Started with Biography Research

    Wednesday, November 5 | 2 PM

  • Tim Wu with Lina Khan: The Age of Extraction

    Thursday, November 6 | 7 PM

  • Etched in Silver: What an Imperial Artifact Reveals About the Afterlife of Russia Abroad

    Friday, November 7 | 2 PM

  • Getting Started at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

    Saturday, November 8 | 2 PM

  • (In Focus) Dürer's Nature

    Monday, November 10 | 11 AM

Featured at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

  • Laptop and stack of books in the Rose Main Reading Room

    Research at the Schwarzman Building

    The Library's research divisions contain art, artifacts, manuscripts, multimedia, rare books, and more across a wide range of subjects. Begin your exploration of the collections at the Schwarzman Building.

  • Interior photo of the new NYPL Shop, featuring shoppers looking at various shelves filled with merchandise.

    Visit the Library Shop

    Located on the first floor of The New York Public Library's landmark building on 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue, the Library Shop & Café is an essential stop for visitors to NYPL's flagship location.

  • Photograph of a Library patron working at a laptop.

    From Our Blog

    Check out blogs from the expert librarians and staff at the Schwarzman Building.

  • Close-up of Fortitude the Lion outside the Schwarzman Building.

    Meet the Library’s Lions

    Standing guard since 1911, the Library’s marble lions acquired their nicknames, Patience and Fortitude, in the 1930s.

About the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

Interior view of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building.

The Stephen A. Schwarzman Building is part of The New York Public Library, which consists of four major research libraries and 88 branch libraries located in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island. Often referred to as the "main branch," the Beaux-Arts landmark building on Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street houses outstanding research collections in the humanities and social sciences. The Stephen A. Schwarzman Building is currently undergoing a renovation. Learn more.

Accessibility Details

The New York Public Library strives to ensure that everyone has access to the full range of information, services, and programs that are offered at the Library. Learn more.

All public service units of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building are wheelchair accessible. A ramp entrance to the building is located at 42nd Street, and a street-level accessible entrance is available at 40th Street. All levels of the building are accessible by an elevator at the north end of the building.

If you require an additional accommodation on site, please speak to a staff member. For more information or for an accommodation, please email accessibility@nypl.org. To learn more about the accessibility of NYPL websites and mobile applications, see our Web & Mobile Accessibility Policy.

Please Note:

  • As part of the Library's Midtown Renovation, we are in the process of upgrading, renovating, and adding more public space to the Schwarzman Building to prepare this historic library for future research, exhibitions, and programs. Currently, we are working on upgrades to the building’s cooling tower and HVAC system, as well as improvements to building circulation and flow with the addition of a new elevator and staircase. We remain focused on limiting the impact of this work on public service, but we do ask for patience and understanding in instances of noise or any other disruption during your visit.

     
  • Due to new Library policy, e-bikes, e-scooters, and electronic transportation devices are not permitted inside any NYPL location. This does not apply to mobility aids.