Everyone loves a library.
They're one of the last remaining places where you can just sit and explore for hours on end. When done right, they're also beautiful spaces that fill visitors with awe.
Business Insider has ranked the most beautiful libraries in the 25 largest US cities, using census data to determine the cities included and awards from the American Institute of Architects and the American Library Association to select the buildings. For cities whose libraries have yet to win any awards, we selected locations that employed the most innovative designs.
Make sure to give these a look on your next road trip.
SEE ALSO: The most beautiful library in each US state
26. The Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. is the oldest federal cultural institution in the US and contains 130 million collection items across 2.1 million square feet of space.
25. Seattle's Central Library, the main branch of the public library, won a 2005 national AIA Honor Award for Architecture for its silvery, asymmetrical design that lets in heaps of light.
24. Founded in the mid-19th century, the Boston Public Library boasts an impressively spacious reading room and a courtyard encircled by archways.
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