Skip to content

Visit the British Library

Plan your visit to the British Library with opening house, locations, Reading Rooms, exhibitions, facilities and accessibility information in London & Yorkshire.

External view of the British Library building in St Pancras, London from below.

Get practical information to help plan your trip to the British Library. On this page you will find opening hours, facilities, and accessibility information for our two locations – St Pancras in London, and Boston Spa in West Yorkshire.

We are recovering from a cyber-attack that disrupted our systems and services. Recovery is underway, but not everything is back yet. Find out what research services are available.

Entrance Hall and foyer of the British Library at St Pancras

Photo by Sam Walton

Visit our London St Pancras site

Things to do at the British Library?

How to find the British Library in London

Our London address and directions

British Library
96 Euston Road
London
NW1 2DB

Find us on Google maps.

London opening hours and visitor information

Library building opening hours

This includes our public spaces, our Members' Room, our permanent Treasures Gallery (free of charge to visit) and our Entrance Hall display space.

Monday – Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday

Amended opening hours:

Saturday 26  Sunday 27 September

Our St Pancras site will be closed for essential maintenance. Find out more.

Reading Rooms opening hours

Maps, Manuscripts and Asian and African Studies close at 17.00 Monday – Saturday.

Find out about our Reading Rooms.

Monday
Tuesday – Thursday
Friday – Saturday
Sunday
Closed

Amended opening hours:

Saturday 26  Sunday 27 September

Our St Pancras site will be closed for essential maintenance. Find out more.

Reader Pass registration

Monday – Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Closed

Amended opening hours:

Saturday 26  Sunday 27 September

Our St Pancras site will be closed for essential maintenance. Find out more.

Paid-for exhibitions opening hours

Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday – Friday
Saturday
Sunday

Amended opening hours:

Saturday 26  Sunday 27 September

Our St Pancras site will be closed for essential maintenance. Find out more.

London visitor facilities

Visitor cloakrooms and lockers

Visitors to our Reading Rooms are required to leave coats and bags in the cloakroom or in a locker. If you're visiting our exhibition galleries you will also need to leave backpacks in the cloakroom. Our cloakroom and digital lockers are free to use, located on the Lower Ground Floor. Please note our cloakroom is closed on Sundays, but you can use our lockers.

Large luggage

We restrict the size of luggage you can bring into the Library. Any luggage larger than 56 (H) x 45 (W) x 25 (D) cm will not be allowed into the British Library for safety and security reasons. There is a size gauge outside our entrance.

Please note that this size restriction does not apply to pushchairs, foldaway bicycles, umbrellas or walking sticks.

E-scooters, e-bicycles and e-unicycles, and their batteries, are not permitted.

Cycle parking

Cycle parking is available on the upper level of our Piazza, adjacent to Ossulston Street. You’ll find multiple bicycle spaces behind the Eduardo Paolozzi sculpture, Newton. You can access this area most directly via our Ossulston Street entrance.

Food, drinks and shopping facilities

You'll find delicious hot and cold food and drinks at the cafés and restaurant at our London site to keep you going during your visit.

Find beautiful books, exciting products, prints and much more in our shops. You can visit in the London Entrance Hall or online shop.

Visitor Wi-Fi access

Free Wi-Fi is available. No username or password is required but you will need to agree to the terms and conditions to access it.

The Last Word community hub

You can visit our local community hub on our Piazza in St Pancras.

Visitors dining in the Terrace Restaurant.

Cafés, shop and bookshop

Feeling peckish or fancy a spot of shopping? Find a range of catering options, including award-winning coffee, warm meals and sweet treats. Explore our shop and bookshop for gorgeous gifts, books and accessories to complement your Library trip.

Accessibility information for our London St Pancras site

Blue Badge parking facilities

Parking bays for Blue Badge holders can be found on Ossulston Street.

Our Ossulston Street entrance is fully ramped and is approximately 100 metres from the main entrance. There are also public metered bays in this area.

Accessible toilets facilities

Accessible toilets can be found on all floors.

The nearest Changing Places toilet is at King's Cross station.

Wheelchair access and availability

Manual wheelchairs can be borrowed free of charge, subject to availability. Please ask a member of staff on arrival.

Please note that assistance cannot be provided in the use of these wheelchairs.

Guide and assistance dogs

We welcome guide dogs and assistance dogs. Water bowls are available at the Information Desk, Reading Rooms, and all cafés. We will respond to any enquiries from visitors who use non-dog assistance animals or who require other auxiliary aids. Please contact us in advance where possible so we can help meet your access requirements

Hearing loops and support systems

Hearing induction loops are installed at the following locations:

  • All Reading Room enquiry desks
  • The Information Desk at the main entrance.
  • The Knowledge Centre meeting rooms (set up on request)
  • The Piggott Theatre, which also operates the Sennheiser MobileConnect system.*

* The Sennheiser MobileConnect system is a digital hearing system that gives users individual control over their feed by broadcasting to an app. The app is available on both Android and iOS devices. To use the system, download the app to your device. If you don't have a smartphone, you can borrow one of three pre-loaded devices on arrival at the Knowledge Centre. Just speak to a member of staff.

Concession tickets and discounts

Concessions are available for disabled visitors for ticketed exhibitions and events. Free tickets are available for personal assistants.

Events and exhibitions.

Accessible Reading Rooms

Our Reading Rooms in St Pancras, London are located on Floors 1, 2 and 3.

To use our Reading Rooms, you must first get a free Reader Pass at Reader Registration on the Upper Ground Floor. If you are visiting with an assistant or carer, both of you will need a Reader Pass.

Our Reading Rooms contain height-adjustable tables and lowered service desks, alternative keyboards, and specialist equipment and facilities for Readers with visual and hearing impairments.

For any assistance within the Reading Rooms, please speak to Reading Room staff or contact accessibility@bl.uk in advance of your visit.

A woman reads a newspaper from the British Library collections, in a Reading Room in Boston Spa, West Yorkshire.

Drew Forsyth

Visit our West Yorkshire site in Boston Spa

Things to do at the British Library?

How to find the British Library at Boston Spa

Our West Yorkshire address and directions

British Library
Boston Spa
Wetherby
West Yorkshire
LS23 7BQ

Find us on Google maps.

Boston Spa opening hours

Reading Room opening hours

Monday – Friday
Saturday – Sunday
Closed

Accessibility information for our Boston Spa site

Site access and entrance information

The Boston Spa site in Yorkshire is located at the entrance to the Thorp Arch Trading Estate. You will be stopped at our gatehouse by a security barrier if you are travelling by car, or by our team in the office at the site entrance.

Blue Badge parking facilities

There are numerous blue badge parking spaces available for the Reading Room. As you enter the Boston Spa site our Security Team will advise on the best parking area.

Step-free access and seating for wheelchair users

Access to the Reading Room in Boston Spa and Reader Registration is all on one level. The Reading Room door has button-assisted opening. The Reading Room has a height-adjustable desk for Readers to use.

Accessible toilet facilities

There is an accessible toilet next to the Reading Room.

Guide and assistance dogs

Guide and assistance dogs are welcome in the building. Dog bowls are available.

Hearing loops and assistive listening systems

Hearing induction loops are installed at Reception, Reader Registration, the Reading Room and Conference Centre.

Accessible Reading Room

The Reading Room has alternative keyboards and facilities for people with visual and hearing impairments.

To use our Reading Room, you must first get a free Reader Pass at Reception in Boston Spa. If you are visiting with an assistant or carer, both of you will need a Reader Pass.

If you require a private facility for medical reasons during your visit, please contact accessibility@bl.uk in advance of your visit.

Please note that the Reading Room in Boston Spa does not have air conditioning.

Contact our team

Need some help? Find answers to common questions, chat with our customer services team, or send us feedback.

Contact us

Ideas and inspiration sent directly to your inbox

Join our mailing list to keep up to date with Library news and events.

By clicking 'Sign up' you agree that you wish to regularly receive news and update emails from the British Library. You can unsubscribe at any time. View our Privacy Policy for more information.

If you encounter any problems subscribing please contact us.

Visit the British Library – Opening Times & Visitor Info