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.
Download This Week @ Central Schedule Here
Coming Up @ Central Library & Online: July 25-August 2, 2026
Saturday, July 25 Library open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Craft & Create: Mini Cross-Stitch. West Room*
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM "We the People: A Quilt of Belonging" Pop-up Program. Grosvenor Room
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Garden Walk Buffalo. Outside Library gardens @ Washington St.
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM 3D Printer Certification Class. West Room*
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM Stitch Circle. Launch Pad MakerSpace
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM Dungeons & Dragons. Central Meeting Room*
1:00 PM - 9:00 PM 22nd Annual Queen City Jazz Fest presented by Colored Musicians Club. Outside @ Lafayette Square
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Assets in the Attic with Mark Dabney: A 3-Part Series. Ring of Knowledge
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Virtual Saturdays. Teen Space
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM Jewelry Making. Teen Space
2:00 PM - 4:45 PM Buffalo Writers' Critique Group. Collections Gallery Conference Room
3:00 – 4:00 PM Peaceful Playtime. West Room
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Special Collections Tour. Grosvenor Room
Sunday, July 26 Library closed. Sunday hours resume September 13.
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Garden Walk Buffalo. Outside Library gardens @ Washington St.
Monday, July 27 Library open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Information Table: Pathways to Success - University at Buffalo. Near Computers
4:00 PM - 5:45 PM Art Break. West Room
Tuesday, July 28 Library open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM The REAL in Business Youth Program. West Room
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM Tiny Tots Storytime. Children's Room
10:30 AM - 1:00 PM It Takes a Village Action Group. Collections Gallery Conference Room*
4:30 PM - 5:50 PM ISUPK Class. Collections Gallery Conference Room
Wednesday, July 29 Library open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM Class Visit. West Room*
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM Every Bottom Covered Diaper Pick-up. Children's Room*
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Walk-up Tech Help. Information Services Desk or Computer Desk
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM Movie Matinee: The Phoenician Scheme (2025). Ring of Knowledge
Thursday, July 30 Library open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Information Table: Pathways to Success - University at Buffalo. Near Computers
10:30 AM - 1:00 PM It Takes a Village Action Group. Collections Gallery Conference Room*
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Summer at Central: REPCO Wildlife. Auditorium
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Walk-up Tech Help. Information Services Desk or Computer Desk
4:00 PM - 6:00 PM Every Bottom Covered Diaper Pick-up. Children's Room*
5:30 PM - 6:45 PM Trivia @ the Library! Central Meeting Room
5:30 PM – 7:30 PM Information Table: Queen City Workers’ Center. Near Computers
6:00 PM - 7:45 PM Buffalo Sewing Club. West Room
Friday, July 31 Library open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM The REAL in Business Youth Program. West Room
Saturday, August 1 Library open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM Create your own handbound journal with WNY Book Arts! Grosvenor Room*
11:00 AM - 2:00 PM Chess Clinic and Club. Central Meeting Room
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM 3D Printer Certification Class. West Room*
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM Stitch Circle. Launch Pad MakerSpace
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 Jewelry Making. Teen Space
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Peaceful Playtime. West Room
Sunday, August 2 Library closed. Sunday hours resume September 13.
Exhibits & Displays: Open during regular Library hours.
AP Gorny: Different from the Rest. Rare Book Room
We the People: Commemorating 250 Years of the Declaration of Independence. Ring of Knowledge
Council of Heritage and Arts of India, Inc. Trailblazers Exhibit. Collections Gallery
Uncle Sam, Symbol of Patriotism. Buffalo Presidential Center, open Saturdays 10 AM - 4 PM only
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