Libraries

9:30 AM - 8:30 PM

Tuesday

9:30 AM - 8:30 PM

Wednesday

9:30 AM - 8:30 PM

Thursday

9:30 AM - 8:30 PM

Friday

9:30 AM - 6:00 PM

Saturday

10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Sunday

11:00 AM - 6:00 PM

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About

A striking modern building contains over 130 photo albums on the history of the city.

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The area

Address

Neighbourhood: Robson Street

Robson Street is a shopper's paradise. Whether a window shopper or a serious trendsetter, a fashionista or a dabbler, the crowd of independent boutiques, quirky one-off shops, and well-known luxury brands on Robson Street have something to cater for every itch in your wallet. As a result, it draws a diverse crowd, and the people-watching along this famous walking thoroughfare is a primary attraction. In between the clothing shops both high-street and budget-friendly are a number of cafes to lay down your load, as well as numerous specialty stores ranging in their wares from music, to art, to city souvenirs. Known as "Vancouver's Runway," if a new trend is on the rise, you'd spot it here first.

How to get there

Vancouver City Centre • 5 min walk
Granville • 6 min walk

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Best nearby

We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.

Restaurants

2,922 within 5 kms

Glowbal

2,205

0.2 km$$ - $$$ • American • Bar • Seafood

Lupo Restaurant

865

0.2 km$$$$ • Italian • Mediterranean • Tuscan

Cafe Medina

1,711

0.1 km$$ - $$$ • Cafe • Mediterranean • Canadian

Fanny Bay Oyster Bar & Shellfish Market

578

0.2 km$$ - $$$ • Bar • Seafood • Canadian

Gotham Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar

912

0.4 km$$$$ • American • Steakhouse • Canadian

Jam Cafe YVR

822

0.4 km$$ - $$$ • American • Cafe • Canadian

The Keg Steakhouse + Bar - Dunsmuir

1,139

0.4 km$$ - $$$ • American • Steakhouse • Bar

Homer St. Cafe and Bar

474

0.2 km$$ - $$$ • American • Vegetarian friendly • Vegan options

Blue Water Cafe

3,221

0.6 km$$$$ • Seafood • Sushi • Canadian

Chambar

1,553

0.4 km$$$$ • Belgian • European • Vegetarian friendly

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Attractions

665 within 10 kms

93 mPoints of Interest & Landmarks

Wind Wheel Mobile

3

0.1 kmMonuments & Statues

The Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts

21

80 mTheatres

Vancouver Public Library - Renfrew Branch

1

0.1 kmLibraries

Vancouver Public Library - Collingwood Branch

Queen Elizabeth Theatre

210

0.2 kmTheatres

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary

198

0.2 kmReligious Sites

Robson Street

1,599

0.3 kmPoints of Interest & Landmarks

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See what travellers are saying

214gordonf
21 contributions
A must see if visiting Vancouver.
Amazing Library to visit if you’re a tourist! Great range of items to borrow and some information on local history. Loved the architecture both inside and out. If you don’t have time to explore, definitely go straight to the rooftop garden!
Visited December 2023
Travelled as a couple
Written 14 December 2023
Dimitris L
Sydney, Australia50,924 contributions
Wonderful building
Vancouver Public Library is an unusual building, bearing a resemblance, on the outside, to the Roman Colosseum. It is a vast building and quite attractive as well. From the top floor the views of the city are incredibly beautiful. This is an architecturally wonderful building worth visiting.
Visited September 2023
Travelled as a couple
Written 29 December 2023
Zitatravel
London, United Kingdom830 contributions
Nice design and roof top small garden area
We visited to check out the building design and the roof top garden area. Would be excellent to sit outside in the summer with a book. The library looked great for studying or reading with lots of quiet areas .
Visited April 2024
Travelled as a couple
Written 29 April 2024

These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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4.5

1,313 reviews

Excellent

792

Very good

431

Average

77

Poor

8

Terrible

5

I9917TWbarbaram

28 contributions

Colosseum in modern day

Aug 2023

The exterior of the building and the roof are amazing. However, the interior is very mundane. The city where I live and another city near us have updated their central libraries in the last few years. They created unique/dramatic exteriors and the insides, while still very functional, are gorgeous. In other words, the inside and outside match each other. I can't say the same for the Vancouver Central Library.

Written 20 August 2023

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dimitris L

Sydney, Australia50,924 contributions

Wonderful building

Sept 2023 • Couples

Vancouver Public Library is an unusual building, bearing a resemblance, on the outside, to the Roman Colosseum. It is a vast building and quite attractive as well. From the top floor the views of the city are incredibly beautiful. This is an architecturally wonderful building worth visiting.

Written 29 December 2023

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

BSBrenda

Guanajuato, Mexico212 contributions

my place / mi lugar

Jan 2021

What a beautiful building, enormous, full of books and people from different cultures. If I live in Vancouver, I would be in there all time. (jan 2020)

Qué hermoso edificio, enorme, lleno de libros y personas de diferentes culturas. Si viviera en Vancouver, estaría ahí todo el tiempo. (enero 2020)

Written 8 July 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

NaeimehGhatan

Vancouver, Canada9 contributions

Not safe for studying

Jan 2024 • Solo

+ No ID card requirement makes the study space insecure.

+Frequent disturbances due to aimlessly wandering individuals.

+Lack of secure environment makes it difficult to leave items unattended.

+Inadequate workspaces, including unplugged workstations and old and uncomfortable chairs.

Written 5 January 2024

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

c_kamaee

Manchester, UK13 contributions

Lovely building.

May 2022

Visited on a Sunday, yet it was open for patrons. Large and airy with lots of seating areas where you could browse the books and magazines. I was particularly impressed by the "Help Wall" with its messages of support for the community.

Written 27 May 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

deepakgupta5

Vancouver, Canada592 contributions

Beautiful library located in downtown Vancouver

Mar 2023

This is a beautiful library located in downtown Vancouver, minutes away from the hustle ad bustle of Robson Street. It has a very nice architecture, lots of space, and lots of books. A lovely place to relax and spend time with the books. There is a nice roof top restaurant also for some great views of the city

Written 5 March 2023

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Pyramid42

25 contributions

For a public building, this is particularly lovely

May 2022

Just a little walk through, not to check out a book, but just to have a look. Vancouver is full of interesting buildings, even if you're not into architecture. It's in the downtown area, right at the HoponHopOff bus, so easy to find. Worth it.

Written 27 May 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rosalia S

Madrid, Spain6 contributions

Great place to visit and pleasant to work there

June 2022

This is a surprising place. I enjoyed the architecture and walking there. Nice for a rainy day. Besides I was at the end of my travel and in the need to do some computer work, and the place was perfect for it. Plenty of tables, quiet rooms full of other people studying, really inspiring.

Written 7 June 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Zitatravel

London, UK830 contributions

Nice design and roof top small garden area

Apr 2024 • Couples

We visited to check out the building design and the roof top garden area. Would be excellent to sit outside in the summer with a book. The library looked great for studying or reading with lots of quiet areas .

Written 29 April 2024

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

214gordonf

21 contributions

A must see if visiting Vancouver.

Dec 2023 • Couples

Amazing Library to visit if you’re a tourist! Great range of items to borrow and some information on local history.
Loved the architecture both inside and out. If you don’t have time to explore, definitely go straight to the rooftop garden!

Written 14 December 2023

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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