Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library (DC central library)

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Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library (DC central library)

Photo: APK · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

📚 Library · Washington

2 hours · Free · No reservation needed

age fit
0–1 yr
★ 5.0
1–3 yrs
★ 5.0
3–5 yrs
★ 5.0
5–10 yrs
★ 5.0
  • 🚗
    About 35 min drive
    From Rockville · Parking: Downtown garages from $15; easiest by Metro to Gallery Place-Chinatown or Metro Center, 3-minute walk
  • 🍼
    Stroller-friendly
    Flat surfaces — bring the stroller
  • 🌳
    Lots of shade
    Rain-OK · Fine on cold days · Handles heat
  • ⏱️
    Typical visit: 2 hours
    Best seasons: Winter · Spring · Summer · Fall

DC's central library, designed by Mies van der Rohe and renovated in 2020: the whole first floor is the children's library, with an indoor slide, a toddler play area, and loads of picture books, and the top floor has a roof garden and terrace with city views. The best place to duck out of the rain or heat after the Mall.

💡 Tips
You can use it without being a DC resident; a card requires a DC address. Weekend storytimes and crafts are on the DCPL calendar. The Kogod Courtyard and the Portrait Gallery are a 5-minute walk.

What this place offers

✓free
✓children's floor
✓slide
✓roof garden
✓storytime
✓air conditioning
✓restrooms
✓architecture

Featured in these guides

This weekend's weather in Washington

Forecast at the destination itself (coast and hills often differ from home)

☁️
Sat 10/17
Overcast · 46–61°F · 53% rain
☀️
Sun 10/18
Sunny · 42–60°F · 4% rain

Location

Washington, Washington, DC

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