The central branch of the Boston Public Library is rich with sculpture, paintings and decorative details. Dramatic murals by celebrated 19th-century artists adorn the walls. The Back Bay building overlooks busy Copley Square and conceals a peaceful Roman-style courtyard.
In this literary city there are plenty of things to keep bookworms satisfied. This library contains not only books (and works of art) but also one of the largest public collections of prints and photographs in the country. The Norman B Leventhal Map Center contains around 350,000 historic and important maps, along with a collection of over 1.5 million rare books and manuscripts.