HUNTINGTON BEACH MAIN STREET LIBRARY, part of the Huntington Beach Public Library System 

Huntington Beach Main Street Library, located in the downtown Huntington Beach district, is one of four branches of the Huntington Beach Public Library system that operates separately from and is not affiliated with the County of Orange Libraries. Huntington Beach Public Library system does, however, have reciprocal agreements with other libraries for loan of books for residents of Huntington Beach.

The Main Street Library sits along palm-lined Main Street across from the Huntington Beach Art Center, several restaurants and beautiful houses. It provides a place tourists can go to check their email with 4 computers for public use. One is free to Huntington Beach residents who have a current Library Card and the others cost $3 per hour. The library system does not allow use of cell phones inside the library buildings.

It also offers story times for children, annual book sales and a variety of books and magazines to sit and read amongst the bustle of beach traffic along Main Street.

Huntington Beach Main Street Library represents the City of Huntington Beach's passion for literacy. For over 20 years, this beautiful building with black marble treatments designed by the architectural firm of McLellan, MacDonald and Marc served as the hub of information for citizens and travelers. Replacing the Carnegie Library in 1951, it served as the center stone until Central Library and Cultural Center was dedicated in 1975 as the newest, biggest library in the region. It was once part of the Civic Center that was relocated to a newer, larger 5-story tower on the 2000 block of Main Street.

The library itself is a walk back in time. The smell of books and periodicals offers the scent of history. A feeling of friendly warmth exudes its spaces and allows guests to absorb a simpler past where things moved a bit slower and were more relaxed. Today the library has over 31,000 volumes of books, periodicals and paper collections.


Closed Sunday & Monday
Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri 10 am - 7 pm
Saturday 9 am - 5 pm
Storytimes are usually held on Wednesdays and crafts on Fridays. There is also homework assistance available and telecourses through an arrangement with Coastline Community College.


An Annual Book Sale is held the first two weeks in December in the Main Reading Room.