Central (downtown Buffalo)
Welcome to the downtown Central Library!
Central Library Regular/non-holiday/non-emergency hours
Monday & Tuesday: 8 am - 6 pm
Wednesday & Thursday: 8 am - 8 pm
Friday & Saturday: 9 am - 5 pm
Sunday: 12 pm - 5 pm
The fully accessible Washington Street doors to enter/exit the building are open during all library hours. The Washington St. entrance is located across from Lafayette Square, between Broadway and Clinton Streets.
Important - the Library's Ellicott Street, underpass entrance to the building is open during limited hours: Monday-Friday.
Coming Up @ Central Library & Online: May 23 - May 31, 2026
Download This Week @ Central Schedule Here
Saturday, May 23 Library open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM 3D Printer Certification Class. West Room*
12:00 PM - 2:15 PM Information Table: Queen City Workers' Center. Outside of Children's Room
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Pint-sized Picassos. West Room
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Virtual Saturdays. Teen Space
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Community Curation 2026: Black Veterans & Memorial Day Discussion. Auditorium*
2:00 PM - 4:45 PM Buffalo Writers' Critique Group. Collections Gallery Conference Room
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Peaceful Playtime. West Room
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Special Collections Tour. Meet @ Grosvenor Room* (registrations fully booked)
Sunday, May 24 Library closed for Memorial Day. Visit us 24/7 at www.BuffaloLib.org.
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM I PROMise Suit Fitting & Fashion Show. Auditorium
Monday, May 25 Library closed for Memorial Day. Visit us 24/7 at www.BuffaloLib.org.
Exhibits & Displays: Open during regular Library hours.
AP Gorny: Different from the Rest. Rare Book Room
Buffalo & the Erie Canal: An Enduring Legacy. Ring of Knowledge
Lincoln’s Funeral Train. Buffalo Presidential Center, only open Saturdays 10 AM - 4 PM
Programs denoted with an asterisk (*) are for pre-registered participants only.
Entering the Library:
Everyone must go through a weapon detection system to enter the Library.
The Washington St. entrance is open during all Library hours. The Ellicott St. open hours are varied. The Clinton St. entrance is only open for Auditorium programs.
Your Buffalo & Erie County Public Library card means you can receive discounts across Erie County. Learn more about the VIP program here.
We want to hear from you.
The Buffalo & Erie County Public Library is exploring how future interior improvements @ the downtown Central Library can better meet the needs of Erie County residents.
Imagining Buffalo Niagara in the 21st Century, after 600 programs,
IMAGINE Buffalo ran its final program in February 2026.
The Library is thankful to program host and volunteer Dennis Galucki.
IMAGINE Buffalo was sponsored by the Center for the Study of Art, Architecture, History and Nature (C-SAAHN) in conjunction with the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library
Click here for an archive of past Zoom programs dating back to 2020: Archive of past IMAGINE Buffalo zoom programs
Click here for a full archive of all recordings dating back to 2009