Looking for a free, fun and educational activity to share with your kids? Look no further than your local library! You can even head outside your own neighborhood and discover something new because the D.C. area is home to (literally) hundreds of library locations! Here are nine standout libraries in D.C., Virginia and Maryland that are especially great for families.
Washington, D.C.
Where: 101 Independence Avenue Southeast, Washington, DC
Often called the most beautiful building in Washington, our national library offers free guided public tours of the Thomas Jefferson Building year round. This one-hour walking tour of the historic building educates visitors about the symbolic art and architecture, as well as the history and work of the Library of Congress. The tour features treasures such as a handwritten Mainz Bible and a printed Gutenberg Bible.
Best program: Don’t miss the Young Readers Center—they offer story time for infants and toddlers every Friday at 10:30am.
Georgetown Neighborhood Library
Where: 3260 R St NW, Washington, DC
The Georgetown Neighborhood Library lives up to its name: it’s truly a neighborhood meeting place for nearby families. Parents and caregivers bring babies, toddlers and preschoolers to the frequent story times, art activities and music circles. Elementary school-aged kids can enjoy themed literary programs and children’s author visits.
Best program: Introduce super tiny ones to the joy of reading during Baby Lap Time.
Palisades Neighborhood Library
Where: 4901 V St NW, Washington, DC
Where: This D.C. library recently underwent a $2.3 million renovation and now includes a green roof and reading nooks in the children’s section. They also replaced the brick facade with floor-to-ceiling windows (think lots of light for reading!).,
Best program: An evening pajama story time is perfect for kids ages three to eight.
Where: 2301 L St NW, Washington, DC
After nearly two years of construction, the 21,000-square-foot West End Library opened to the public at the end of 2017 with 40,000 books, 40 public computers, and a large selection of DVDs and CDs. The library is separated into different areas according to age. We can’t get over the mural called “A Garden Party” in the children’s room!
Best program: It’s a tie between the weekly Friday craft hour for kids and West End Cinema screenings for adults.
Virginia
Where: 6614 Fort Hunt Rd, Alexandria, VA
This award-winning new library building is the site one of the oldest locations of the Fairfax County Public Library system. Martha Washington Library welcomes visitors of all ages to enjoy its collection, facilities and events. Parents will appreciate how this library hosts children’s story times at a wide range of times (morning, afternoon and evening) and on both weekends and weekdays to accommodate diverse parent/caregiver schedules.
Best program: The evening book club for moms that meets monthly…sans kids!
Where: 5005 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA
The peaks of the Beatley Central Library are visible throughout Alexandria, welcoming families to its many cultural, literary and community offerings. Family story times pack the calendar Monday through Saturday, providing families with loads of options for special events in between looking for the perfect book. After work and school, evenings are abound with family fun, from pajama parties to Lego nights.
Best program: You can enjoy your book in the open air, thanks to the outdoor Frank and Betty Wright Reading Garden (the library’s free wireless extends outdoors, too).
Maryland
Where: 21 Maryland Ave, Rockville, MD
Downtown Rockville is an educational hub, thanks to the spaces and events of the Rockville Memorial Library. Every member of the family will find something of interest here—there’s sing-a-longs, chess clubs, video production classes and financial seminars.
Best program: The story times for preschool-aged kids are specialized programs developed by the local public schools with content to assist with kindergarten readiness.
Where: 900 Wayne Ave, Silver Spring, MD
The high-tech building of the Silver Spring Library is not the only modern element of this literary outpost: tech programs for families are all over the calendar. From computer classes to Minecraft workshops, this library provides cutting-edge opportunities amongst its five floors.
Best program: Two words—Lego weekends! Little ones will love building structures with both Duplo and Lego blocks.
Where: 10237 Carroll Pl, Kensington, MD
The Noyes Children’s Library is one of the few public libraries in the country dedicated solely to children’s literature and parenting. Established in 1893, it is the oldest public library in the Washington, D.C. area, housed in a cottage straight out of a fairy tale. It is open four days a week, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, from 9am to 5pm and Wednesday from 1pm to 8pm.
Best program: Wednesday evenings are reserved for kids’ dance parties! (And pajamas are encouraged).
