Experts' Choice Award Chetham's Library
What the experts agree on
Manchester's 1653-founded Chetham's Library is the oldest public library in the English-speaking world, still offering free access to 100,000+ books. It's historically significant as Karl Marx and Engels's study spot.
“The oldest public library in the English-speaking world (founded in 1653), as well as the meeting place of Marx and Engels when the former visited Manchester, is now an accredited museum.”
– Fodor's
Lonely PlanetTop choice
"Built in 1421, this is the city’s oldest structure that’s still completely intact – and was where Messrs Marx and Engels used to study (by the big bay window in the main reading room)." Full review
Time Out "Astonishingly, Chetham's Library, founded in 1653, is the oldest public library in the English speaking world, still providing public access to over 100,000 books free of charge." Full review
Atlas Obscura "Dating back almost 400 years, the oldest public collection library in the United Kingdom was once the study hall of Karl Marx. " Full review
The Guardian "They worked together at Chetham’s Library (free, closed weekends), founded in 1653 and thought to be the oldest public library in the world, which has just reopened after a multimillion-pound renovation"
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