19 Totally Magical Libraries To Visit Before You Die

“The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library at the University of Toronto! I went this fall and the whole experience was mind blowing. Not only is the library beautiful, but you can request and have access to most of their collections while visiting. On our trip we saw Shakespeare’s first folio, as well as many of Margaret Atwood’s original manuscripts (and her first self published book!!) and a Book of Hours from the 15th century (could have been the 14th — there was a lot that day!)” —Melissa Hudson (Facebook)

“Stadtbibliothek Stuttgart in Stuttgart, Germany. It’s essentially a perfectionist’s dream of what every library should look like.” —melissan406bf75c0

“New York Public Library … the ceiling is magnificent and it’s so quiet in there.” —heyitsgracee

“The John Rylands Library in Manchester is literally a cathedral for books.” —joem45ac45347

“The Strahov Library in Prague!!! You can’t actually sit down and read, but it is one of the most pleasing locations a book lover could set eyes on!” —kateh4897e321c

“The Beinecke Library in New Haven, Connecticut. They always have rare books and folios on display, and the interior temperature controlled room is too cool.” —lsheabailey

“Biblioteca Vasconcelos in Mexico City. Went there last summer, it’s amazing. My picture doesn’t do it justice.” —AnaE20

“The Salt Lake City Library! It is gorgeous and feels like something Willy Wonka would create.” —straytray

“I almost cried with joy when I walked into the Trinity College Long Room.” —Jen Stone (Facebook)

Suggested by Joana Simão (Facebook)

“The Library of Congress. Home to a Gutenberg bible, every book in circulation, and countless masterpieces. Every American must visit once in their lives.” —cjsamsky

(Suggested by emmas42aab98e8)

“Give me a mattress and food for the rest of my life and I shall call Peabody library my precious, like Gollum did with the one ring!” —Annamaria Apergi (Facebook)

“Everyone needs to go the University of Washington Library! It looks exactly like the dining hall from Harry Potter!” —Meranda Clausen (Facebook)

(Suggested by Josh Young, emmas42aab98e8, shelin, and matr4a537d5b1)

“The Librairie Avant Garde in Nanjing, China! It’s hidden in an underground carpark in an abandoned bomb shelter, and perfectly mixes books and literature in with history, culture, and a super cool Chinese indie vibe. There’s artwork everywhere, quotes etched into pillars, and every book you can think of translated into Chinese.” —Kalli McCoy (Facebook)

*Technically this is a bookstore, not a library, but the shop welcomes people who just want to browse and read for hours, and owner Qian Xiaohua has called it “the second library for university students.”