Suzzallo Library

Seattle


The architecturally minded will be interested in the University of Washington’s Suzzallo Library. Designed by Carl Gould in 1926, this bibliophile’s dream was inspired by Henry Suzzallo, UW’s president at the time. Suzzallo wanted it to look like a cathedral, because ‘the library is the soul of the university.' Unfortunately for him, his bosses disagreed; on reviewing the building, they deemed it too expensive and fired Suzzallo for his extravagance.

However, the dream was partially realized in the grand neo-Gothic entrance lobby and the truly beguiling reading room with its massive cathedral-like windows that, on fine days, cast filtered sunlight onto the long reading pews. Hours change with the school year, so it's best to check ahead before visiting if you're interested in peeking inside.

Transportation

  • train: University of Washington

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Seattle attractions

1. University of Washington

0.05 MILES

Founded in 1861, Seattle's university is almost as old as the city itself and is highly ranked worldwide (the prestigious Times Higher Education magazine…

2. Rainier Vista

0.05 MILES

What other US university campus has a perfectly framed view of a glacier-drizzled, 14,410ft stratovolcano? This beautiful green corridor of lawns and…

3. Central Plaza (Red Square)

0.06 MILES

The center of campus is more commonly referred to as Red Sq (because of its base of red brick rather than any Bolshevik inclinations). It’s not the…

4. Quad

0.08 MILES

The lovely Quad is home to some of the original campus buildings, many of them built in a Collegiate Gothic style reminiscent of New England. On sunny…

5. Drumheller Fountain

0.13 MILES

Drumheller Fountain sits inside what was originally known as Geyser Basin (now ‘Frosh Pond’), one of the few remaining pieces left over from the 1909 expo…

6. Henry Art Gallery

0.16 MILES

Approaching 90 years of age, the Henry is Seattle's modern-art masterpiece. Set in a sophisticated space on the University of Washington campus, it…

7. Burke Museum

0.36 MILES

An interesting hybrid museum covering both natural history and indigenous cultures of the Pacific Rim. Inside you'll find, arguably, Washington's best…

8. Ravenna Park

0.91 MILES

Just north of the U District is Ravenna, a residential neighborhood that’s home to a lot of professors and university staff. At its heart is Ravenna Park,…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "usa/seattle/the-u-district/attractions/suzzallo-library/a/poi-sig/1101631/1006582",
      "destination": "Seattle",
      "continent": "North-America",
      "country": "USA",
      "region": "Washington",
      "city": "Seattle",
      "position": "superzone"
    }