CONNECT with the CityTour San Diego Central Library @ Joan Λ Irwin Jacobs Common
There are now multiple ways to experience all that this space has to offer.
SDPL offers short video tours of San Diego Central Library. Created in the spring of 2024, these tours are designed to be listened to while exploring the building or viewed remotely.
View the Central Library Tour Brochure
Public tours of San Diego Central Library occur monthly and are led by staff. Due to space constraints, registration is highly recommended. They can be found on the Central Library event calendar.
Groups of over 8 people or those wanting to schedule focused tours covering the building’s art or special collections should use the Private Group Tour request form. Private tours are subject to availability—please submit requests at least two weeks in advance for the best possible scheduling.
General Tour Highlights
- Dr. Seuss-themed Denny Sanford Children's Library;
- Beach-themed Pauline Foster Teen Center;
- Helen Price Reading Room;
- Sullivan Baseball Research Center;
- Central Library IDEA Lab;
- Judith Harris Art Gallery and art on view;
- Marilyn and Gene Marx Special Collections Center; and
- the Qualcomm Dome Terrace.
Tour the Art in Central Library
- Explore some of the 150 individual works of art from the City of San Diego Civic Art Collection, the largest display in the history of the Commission for Arts and Culture.
- Learn about the four permanent and site-specific art installations commissioned for the Central Library.
- Enjoy a special look in the Hervey Family Rare Books Room.
- Finish in the Art Gallery with a look at rotating exhibitions.
A minimum of 8 people is needed to schedule a private Art Tour. Groups with smaller numbers may be combined with another party to fulfill this requirement.
Tour the Hervey Family Rare Books Room
Located on the 9th floor of Central Library, the Rare Books Room is housed within the Marilyn and Gene Marx Special Collections Center and holds the Library’s treasured Wangenheim Collection of rare books and materials. Tour attendees will learn about what defines a “rare book” and more in this 30-60 minute tour. Highlights include:
- an extensive collection of miniature books;
- illuminated religious texts;
- fore-edge painted books;
- the artwork of Alfred Mitchell and Donal Hord
Tours for Educators and Group Visits
For those looking for a field trip that expands students' enthusiasm for learning, consider requesting a tour of Central Library led by Children’s and Teens library staff. Tours are specially designed by grade level for students in grades K-12.
The Children’s Tour is appropriate for kids ages 5-11 (kindergarten through 5th grade), while the Teen Tour is geared for those 12-18 (6th through 12th grade). Both tours are offered to youth visiting the library as a group or class. Depending on interest and the preferred length of the visit, tours may include:
- a building tour led by specially trained docents,
- highlights of special spaces in the library that specifically interest children; and
- space for groups to have lunch in the library Courtyard.
Interviews with the Architect
In 2013, San Diego Public Library and The San Diego Union-Tribune co-produced a video series highlighting different areas of Central Library. In these videos, architect Rob Quigley dives into architectural details and points out the purpose and history behind the building’s various features.
