Admission free. Building open today 09:30 - 20:00
Anglo Saxons Kingdoms: Art, Word, War will now close at 16.00 on Friday afternoon (21 December) to allow unscheduled maintenance to be carried out. Find out more >
The British Library is open every day except during the Christmas and New Year period. During Seasonal Holidays our Reading Rooms are closed. For general opening times and seasonal closures, see below.
Registration Office opening times
Exhibition, galleries & shop opening times
Building opening times
- Monday - Thursday
- 09:30 - 20:00
- Friday
- 09:30 - 18:00
- Saturday
- 09:30 - 17:00
- Sunday
- 11:00 - 17:00
(Including the Free Entrance Hall exhibition and Members’ Room.)
Seasonal Holiday (excluding Christmas and New Year) openings hours are 11:00 - 17:00, and our Reading Rooms are closed. Please see below for seasonal closures.
Reading Rooms opening times
Humanities, Science, Social Sciences, Rare Books & Music, Business & IP Centre and Newsroom
- Monday
- 10:00 - 20:00
- Tuesday - Thursday
- 09:30 - 20:00
- Friday - Saturday
- 09:30 - 17:00
- Sunday
- Closed
Asian & African Studies, Manuscripts and Maps
- Monday
- 10:00 - 17:00
- Tuesday - Saturday
- 09:30 - 17:00
- Sunday
- Closed
First time users will need to register. See the Registration Office opening times below.
Our Boston Spa Reading Room in Yorkshire is open 09:00 - 16:30 Monday - Friday.
Our Reading Rooms are closed on all Seasonal Holidays and on Easter Saturday.
Reader Registration Office opening times
- Monday
- 10:00 - 17:45
- Tuesday
- 09:30 - 19:45
- Wednesday - Thursday
- 09:30 - 17:45
- Friday
- 09:30 - 16:15
- Saturday
- 09:30 - 16:45
- Sunday
- Closed
Please arrive at least 15 minutes before the office closes.
Our Reader Registration Office is closed on all Seasonal Holidays and on Easter Saturday.
Restaurant & cafés opening times
The Terrace Restaurant
- Monday - Friday
- 09:30 - 17:00
- Saturday
- 09:30 - 16:00
- Sunday
- 11:00 - 16:30
The Coffee Shop (Upper Ground Floor)
- Monday - Thursday
- 09:30 - 19:30
- Friday
- 09:30 - 17:30
- Saturday
- 09:30 - 16:30
- Sunday
- 11:00 - 16:30
The King’s Library Café (Floor 1)
- Monday - Saturday
- 11:45 - 16:00
- Sunday
- Closed
The Last Word café (Piazza)
- Monday - Sunday
- 08:30 - 17:00
Origin Coffee, Entrance Hall
- Monday - Thursday
- 09:30 - 18:30
- Friday
- 09:30 - 18:00
- Saturday
- 09:30 - 17:00
- Sunday
- 11:00 - 17:00
Origin Coffee, Euston Road
- Monday - Thursday
- 07:30 - 18:00
- Friday
- 07:30 - 17:30
- Saturday
- 09:00 - 16:00
- Sunday
- 10:00 - 16:00
Members' Room (food served every day from 10:00 - 15:45)
- Monday - Thursday
- 09:30 - 20:00
- Friday
- 09:30 - 18:00
- Saturday
- 09:30 - 17:00
- Sunday
- 11:00 - 17:00
See Eat, Drink, Shop for full details.
Seasonal closures
- Monday 24 December 2018
- Closed
- Tuesday 25 December 2018
- Closed
- Wednesday 26 December 2018
- Closed
- Monday 31 December 2018
- Building shuts at 17:00
- Tuesday 1 January 2019
- Closed
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