British Library Building
a cathedral of books to sit in
The vast red-brick British Library by King's Cross, free to walk into, with a towering glass column of the King's old leather books, a sculpture-dotted piazza and the best free place to work in the area.
Free to visit · St Pancras · King's Cross St Pancras · NW1 2DB
Opening: Mon–Sat · roughly 9:30am–8pm · Sun from 11am
The British Library is the largest national library in the world by number of items, and although the reading rooms need a free reader pass, the building itself is open to everyone for nothing. Its red-brick bulk hides a calm, generous public interior that most people walk past on their way to the trains.
At its heart rises the King's Library, a six-storey glass tower holding the leather-bound book collection of King George the Third, glowing gold in the middle of the building. Around it are free exhibition spaces, cafes and acres of seating where students and workers settle in for the day.
Outside, the piazza is a public square in its own right, with a giant bronze of Newton bent over his compasses and benches in the sun. Pair it with the free Treasures gallery inside, where Magna Carta and Beatles lyrics live, for one of the best free days in north London.
Getting there: Right next to King's Cross St Pancras, a couple of minutes from the station on Euston Road.
Best time to go: A weekday to use it as a free workspace, or any day to see the Treasures gallery and the King's Library tower.
Insider tip: You do not need a reader pass to enjoy it. Grab a free seat in the public spaces, visit the King's Library tower and the free Treasures gallery, and use the piazza and cafes as a calm base between trains at King's Cross and St Pancras.
Official site: https://www.bl.uk
Free things to do in London · London Free Guide