With over two million books,16,000 serials, and a wide array of artwork, the State Library is an impressive building inside and out.  The first stage of the library opened all in 1856, with a modest collection of nearly 4,000 books! The building complex was constructed over many years. 

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The library is free to visit and has a number of reading rooms, the most famous of them is the Dome, which opened in 1913. The octagonal room can hold over one million books and 600 people! The Dome, at the time of completion was the largest in the world!

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There is also a Chess Reading Room, which houses a range of materials dedicated to chess; the Redmond Barry Reading Room, which houses a collection of books, magazines and more; Arts Collection Reading Room, dedicated to material on art, music and the performing arts; Genealogy Reading Room, housing a large collection of microfilms, biographies and more; and the Newspaper Reading Room.

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The library is the perfect place to take a break for the hustle and bustle of Melbourne’s laneways and city streets.