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).
Reopening update
On advice from government, we made the difficult decision to close all public spaces as a preventative measure to support the health and wellbeing of our visitors, staff and volunteers, as well as the broader community.
We now look forward to partially reopening the Library on 15 June, ahead of our official reopening on 27 June. Find out more
Library opening hours
- Main public areas
- Monday to Thursday 10am–9pm
Friday to Sunday 10am–6pm - Heritage Collections Reading Room
- Daily 10am–6pm;
until 9pm on Wednesday - The Ian Potter Queen's Hall
- Daily 10am to 5pm
- Victoria Gallery
- Daily 10am–6pm
- Dome Galleries
- Daily 10am–6pm;
until 9pm on Thursday - Cowen Gallery, including
North and South Rotundas - Same as main public areas except when closed for functions.
- Mr Tulk cafe
- Monday to Thursday 7am–5pm, Friday 7am–8pm
Saturday & Sunday 9am–4pm - Guild Cafe
- Daily 10am–6pm
- Readings State Library
- Monday to Thursday 10am–8pm, Friday to Sunday 10am–6pm
Public holidays in 2020
Australia Day: open until 6pm, Monday 27 January.
Labour Day: open until 6pm, Monday 9 March.
Easter period: closed Good Friday, 10 April.
Open as usual Saturday 11 April and Sunday 12 April.
Open until 6pm, Monday 13 April.
Anzac Day: open until 6pm, Thursday 25 April.
Queen's Birthday: open until 6pm, Monday 8 June.
AFL Grand Final: open as usual Friday 25 September.
Melbourne Cup: open until 6pm, Tuesday 3 November.
Christmas period: open until 6pm, Thursday 24 December (Christmas Eve).
Closed Friday 25 December (Christmas Day) and Monday 28 December (Boxing Day).
From Tuesday 29 December to Thursday 31 December we are open until 6pm.
New Year's Day: closed Friday 1 January 2021.
Standard opening hours resume on Saturday 2 January 2021.
Please note: our free guided tours of exhibitions and Library spaces do not run on public holidays.