The Boston Athenaeum Reviews

I came here as a visitor. It s not worth $10. You re limited to a few ordinary rooms on the first floor. It took less than 5 minutes to see the whole floor.

As others have said, don't bother going unless you do the tour (which wasn't available) or have a membership. Otherwise, you are only allowed on the first floor. Not even the whole first floor, but just 2 rooms, which you'd be better off going to the Boston public library. They also have a few statues and paintings and quiet reading areas.

Cool place. Not a big museum but it is a cool space

Worth a visit as a tourist and the membership as a local.

Great place very nice books! The accounting department runs so smoothly, I have never seen a smoother department. Would recommend.

This place is perfect for anyone who wants to study somewhere quiet and beautiful during covid. However, if you are not a member, you will have to pay for a $40 one day pass.

The tour is something to do - it gets you access to areas that normally you wouldn't. However - it was called N architectural tour, but it was more of a book tour - not sure if that was only because of the guide we had.

I'm a member. It's truly an amazing place. A good spot to sit in a comfortable chair and ponder your place in the timeline of American history.

Become a member, it is totally worthwhile. Amazing library with a dedicated, and brilliant staff.

I have been a member for many years, and the athenaeum is an incredible place, with books, from George Washington's Private library, all the way to children's books. The records are so fascinating.

Great library. The rooms are lovely, rich in history, curious statues, incredible book collection, engaging and supportive staff - and the views.

Don t forget to bring your tote bag, otherwise they will give you a non-reusable bag for you belongings (AKA plastic bags). Props for letting your patrons bring covered containers.

Thinking about getting a membership? Signup right way!

I dream of the day I could live in this beautiful city and visit this special place often! We took advantage of the late Tuesday opening today, and unfortunately missed the last tour. But the staff is very kind and helpful, and full of helpful information! Thank you to Fritz, Molly, and the front desk crew for making our visit extra special. What a gorgeous place!!

You don't get access to anything but the main hall. Useless. All the interesting rooms are locked for members only.

This library is such a gem. From the red leather door at 10 1/2 Beacon St. (how Harry Potter is that?) to the amazing collection of art to the beautiful rooms, wonderful art collection, and truly great line up of events, this place is so worth the yearly subscription cost ($200ish).

I live in Back Bay in a tiny apartment. Joining the Athenaeum gives me a space to relax and enjoy a good book and feel like I'm at home.

The selection of books is wonderful--and I get books I've reserved much more quickly than at the public library (though I still love the BPL!). The people who work there are lovely.

If you have the chance to visit or take a tour, I highly recommend it. It's a magical piece of Boston.

You will not have access to the most beautiful pieces of the library with the $ 10 ticket. Only members and guided tours can access it!

I prefer the Boston Central Library, as for this one is quite small. Especially considering the public spaces are limited due to the rest being 'member's' only rooms. It was mediocre at best.

What an amazing place! Loved the tour. One thing we didn't love though was the only tour was at 3:00. We are now in rush hour traffic going home to NH! Not fun! Can't there be earlier times?

You can NOT get in on Monday unless you're a member. That was a very long disappointing trip

It is a nice library museum with quite places for study. But the problem is, to see the whole museum, you need to do the tour or have the membership. Otherwise, you are allowed to see only some sections of the first floor.

This is a beautiful, historic institution that is nevertheless antiquated, elitist and limits its engagement with the general public. It is only fully open to rich people, who are willing to shell out upwards of $300 per year for membership. My 2-year old boy really wanted to visit the children's library, and was thrown out of the building without even being able to use the restroom (they also didn't allow us to pay the $10 daily fee, which we would have gladly paid). It is truly a shame, because places like this should be celebrated by being open to all who can enjoy and appreciate it responsibly. I wouldn't be surprised if their membership numbers are struggling and do not reflect the demographics of the current residents of Boston.

A library but is more like a museum.. They got job placement on the basement I thought is quite useful. However I smell something unpleasant because of public space?

Way too strict - policies are unreasonable and are also inconsistently enforced.

Best place on Earth. Negative reviews are from people who don t get it. The Athenaeum is not a public space, it is a space for its members (and you should consider becoming one!). It is a sanctuary of learning and art in the center of a bustling city. It is a watering hole for your mind. The $10 admission to see the first floor is barely worth it - instead, come see one of the Art/Architecture tours and you ll be able to see the whole place- then you ll understand more why people love this place, and you ll know if it s right for you.

We were late getting downtown and missed our tour, but the art on display had some great pieces! If I lived in the area, I would definitely look into membership.

The Boston Athenaeum is a great spot for visitors and locals! There are only a few rooms open to the public so it won't take long to check out this beautiful library. It is full of history and a wonderful peaceful place to spend a little time. It is located close to the T and freedom trail right in downtown Boston.

This library is well worth a year's membership. Wether going for a quick stroll through featured artists or to do research for your next novel there are always places to relax. Right in the center of town!

A lovely spot with lots of history and cool books! Would only recommend going for a tour as a non-member, however. Otherwise, rooms are super limited and you can't even see the nicer parts of the athenaeum (namely, the 5th floor reading room). They have free visits every second Saturday of the month, and tours are only $2 each, so would highly recommend going then. Tours are an hour long and I found ours engaging and interesting.