Living in Boston, I’m always looking for new and exciting places to visit in the city, and this past weekend I discovered one of my new favorite hidden gems. I got to visit the Boston Athenaeum last weekend and it was a book lover’s dream come true. The Athenaeum is one of the oldest private libraries in the United States. Behind its iconic red doors on 10 ½ Beacon Street, the Athenaeum houses thousands of books, newspapers, records, and priceless pieces of art. It’s a temple for bibliophiles. As I went through all five stories, I saw records that dated back to the 1600s, books by James Joyce and Charles Dickens, and a complete collection of Oscar Wilde’s works. In addition to the material that the library holds, its interior is also magnificent. Of all five floors the top of the Athenaeum is truly stunning, with arched ceilings and dangling cast iron chandeliers, you’ll feel as though you’ve been transported out of the rush of a busy city and into the quiet power of being surrounded by knowledge and story. The cost of a day pass is $40, and this gives you access to all the floors for the whole day; you can also sign up for different tours. While it’s not the cheapest activity, I think it’s a very rewarding one, and the cost of the pass is really just a donation to help preserve the Athenaeum for generations to come.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Emmanuel chapter.