Widener Library, Boston

Name: Widener Library
Address: Harvard Yard, Boston, 02138, United States

#409 among attractions in Boston

Library

Gallery (5)

Map

Gallery

Facts and practical information

The Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library, housing some 3.5 million books in its "vast and cavernous" stacks, is the centerpiece of the Harvard College Libraries and, more broadly, of the entire Harvard Library system. It honors 1907 Harvard College graduate and book collector Harry Elkins Widener, and was built by his mother Eleanor Elkins Widener after his death in the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912. ()

Alternative names: Established: 1915 (110 years ago)Area: 7.41 acres (0.0116 mi²)Coordinates: 42°22'25"N, 71°6'59"W

Address

Harvard YardCambridge (Mid-Cambridge)Boston 02138 United States

Contact

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Boston

Day trips

Widener Library – popular in the area (distance from the attraction)

Nearby attractions include: Club Passim, Harvard Art Museums, Memorial Hall, Harvard Lampoon Building.

~980 ftW
Dancing, Nightlife
Club Passim, Boston
5 min walk • Nestled in the heart of Harvard Square, Club Passim stands as a cultural beacon in Cambridge, Massachusetts, renowned for its intimate live music experiences. This legendary venue has been a staple in the Boston music scene for decades, offering audiences the chance...
~680 ftNE
Diverse European and American works
Harvard Art Museums, Boston
4 min walk • Nestled in the heart of Cambridge, a stone's throw away from the bustling city of Boston, the Harvard Art Museums stand as a pinnacle of artistic and cultural exploration. This renowned institution is not just one, but a consortium of three museums: the Fogg Museum...
~1000 ftNE
Gothic Revival architecture, Memorial, Theater
Memorial Hall, Boston
5 min walk • Memorial Hall, immediately north of Harvard Yard in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is an imposing High Victorian Gothic building honoring Harvard men's sacrifices in defense of the Union during the American Civil War‍—‌"a symbol of Boston's commitment to the Unionist cause and the...
~720 ftS
Forts and castles
Harvard Lampoon Building, Boston
4 min walk • The Harvard Lampoon Building is a historic building in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which is best known as the home of The Harvard Lampoon, and for its unusual design.
~400 ftS
Shopping, Bookshop
Grolier Poetry Bookshop, Boston
2 min walk • The Grolier Poetry Book Shop is an independent bookstore on Plympton Street near Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Although founded as a "first edition" bookstore, its focus today is solely poetry.
~970 ftW
Library, Shopping, Bookshop
The Harvard Coop, Boston
5 min walk • The Harvard Library is the umbrella organization for the Harvard University libraries and their shared services, such as access, preservation, digital infrastructure, digital imaging, and discovery services. The Harvard Library is nearly 400 years old, making it the oldest library system in the United States.
~690 ftE
Church, Spiritual
Memorial Church of Harvard University, Boston
4 min walk • The Memorial Church of Harvard University is a building on the campus of Harvard University.
~580 ftNW
Square
Massachusetts Hall, Boston
3 min walk • Massachusetts Hall is the oldest surviving building at Harvard College, the first institution of higher learning in the British colonies in America, and second oldest academic building in the United States after the Wren Building at the College of William & Mary.
~200 ftSE
Library, Colonial revival architecture
Houghton Library, Boston
1 min walk • Houghton Library, on the south side of Harvard Yard adjacent to Widener Library, is Harvard University's primary repository for rare books and manuscripts.
~410 ftSW
Square, Colonial revival architecture
Porcellian Club, Boston
2 min walk • The Porcellian Club is an all-male final club at Harvard University, sometimes called the Porc or the P.C. The year of founding is usually given as 1791, when a group began meeting under the name "the Argonauts", or as 1794, the year of the roast pig dinner at which the club, known first as "the Pig Club" was formally founded.
~120 ftW
Monuments and statues
Harvard Bixi, Boston
1 min walk • The Harvard Bixi is a 17-foot high, 27 ton Chinese marble stele with a turtle pedestal located at Harvard University, north of Boylston Hall and west of Widener Library in Harvard Yard, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Which popular attractions are close to Widener Library?

Nearby attractions include Harvard Bixi, Boston (1 min walk), Houghton Library, Boston (1 min walk), President's House, Boston (2 min walk), University Hall, Boston (2 min walk).

How to get to Widener Library by public transport?

The nearest stations to Widener Library:

Bus

Massachusetts Ave @ Holyoke St • Lines: 1, 69 (2 min walk)
Harvard Square (4 min walk)

Metro

Harvard • Lines: Red (4 min walk)
Central Square • Lines: Red (22 min walk)

Train

Porter (26 min walk)