Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library
A modernist building with marble panels that glow with translucent light. Its glass book tower holds a Gutenberg Bible and the Voynich Manuscript.
The Beinecke Library was designed by Gordon Bunshaft of SOM and completed in 1963. Its exterior walls are made of translucent Vermont marble panels, so the interior glows amber when sunlight passes through. The six-story glass book tower at the center displays rare volumes. A Gutenberg Bible and Audubon’s *Birds of America* are on permanent display, and the collection is rotated regularly, with the famous Voynich Manuscript shown only occasionally. Admission is free, though the library may close early on weekends. The sunken courtyard features a stone sculpture garden by Isamu Noguchi.
Opening hours
Usually Mon–Fri 10:00–16:30 (check official website)
Nearby sights
- Sterling Memorial Library
- Grove Street Cemetery
- Yale University Old Campus & Harkness Tower
- New Haven Green
- Yale University Art Gallery
- Yale Center for British Art
- Shubert Theatre
- Louis' Lunch