Opening hours
Each year we welcome over a million visitors to our glorious heritage building in Melbourne's CBD. If you're planning a visit, here's when we're open, how to get here and our printable Library map (pdf, 4 MB).
Library opening hours
The Library is open 10am–6pm, seven days a week. Find out more about a COVID-safe Library.
The Ian Potter Queen's Hall is open daily 10am–5pm, and Mr Tulk cafe is open daily 8am–5pm.
Cowen Gallery, including the North and South Rotundas, have the same opening hours as the main public areas except when closed for functions.
Early closure on Tuesday 4 April
Some of our Library spaces will close at 3pm on Tuesday 4 April for the Keith Murdoch Oration.
The event will welcome 280 of the Library’s major donors, supporters and government stakeholders, for a black tie dinner and oration. As the event takes place in key Library spaces, early closure ensures that these venues can be prepared ahead of guests arriving from 6.30pm.
The spaces closing early are:
- Cowen Gallery
- La Trobe Reading Room (including members lounge, Victorian Indigenous Research Centre and fellows offices)
- The Ian Potter Queen's Hall
- Create Quarter mezzanine
Public holidays 2023
The Library is closed on these public holidays:
- New Year's Day – Sunday 1 January
- Good Friday – Friday 7 April
- Christmas Day – Monday 25 December
- Boxing Day – Tuesday 26 December.
The Library is open 10am–6pm on these public holidays:
- New Year's Day Observed – Monday 2 January
- Australia Day – Thursday 26 January
- Labour Day – Monday 13 March
- Easter Saturday – 8 April to Easter Monday 10 April, inclusive
- Anzac Day – Tuesday 25 April
- Monarch's Official Birthday – Likely Monday 12 June
- AFL Grand Final day – Likely Friday 29 September
- Melbourne Cup Day – Tuesday 7 November.