It’s always nice when non-Angelenos appreciate the local venues that we hold dear, so we were delighted to find that, according to a new survey by travel website Islands, our very own Los Angeles Central Library is the ninth most popular library in the country on TikTok.
More specifically, the outlet dove into #BookTok and #LibraryTok data and monitored a surge in interest in all things literary across Google search data as well to come up with a list of the 12 most popular libraries in the U.S.
“The Los Angeles Central Library has 1.8 million views on TikTok and a 4.5 Tripadvisor rating among its 437 reviews,” reads the report. “This location, officially named the Richard J. Riordan Central Library, is located in Downtown Los Angeles where it serves as the main branch of the library.”
The survey specifically calls the library “something of a free museum,” and we understand why. The building is a feat of architectural beauty—both the inside and out—and no matter how many times you enter it, you’ll be amazed by the murals all around, among other details.
Speaking of free: Did you know that you can snag more than just books gratis with an L.A. library card? Here’s a list of all the perks you probably didn’t know about.
Although the Central Library is the only L.A. list entry, other California destinations made the ranking, including Hearst Castle in San Simeon and the Geisel Library in San Diego. Some other details: New York is one of the most mentioned locations on the survey and the top honor went to the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
The 12 most popular libraries in the U.S. according to TikTok
1. Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
2. Boston Public Library in Boston, Massachusetts
3. Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California
4. Stephen A. Schwarzman Building at the New York Public Library in New York
5. George Peabody Library in Baltimore, Maryland
6. Geisel Library in San Diego, California
7. Brooklyn Public Library in Brooklyn, NY
8. Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library in New Haven, Connecticut
9. Los Angeles Central Library in Los Angeles, California
10. Morgan Library and Museum in New York
11. Cleveland Public Library in Cleveland, Ohio
12. Seattle Public Library in Seattle, Washington