Abram Street / Authentically Arlington / Coming Soon / Cultural Arts / Development / Events / Learning / MyAbram / Spotlight

Jun 12, 2018

Downtown Arlington Library Opens, Welcomes Community

The big day is here! The all new George W. Hawkes Downtown Library opens on Saturday, June 16. Within its three story structure is 80,000-square-feet of space that's ready to serve the community with state-of-the-art resources and a myriad of learning and gathering spaces for children and adults alike.

Floor by Floor

The Downtown Library is a public-private partnership and sets a new standard for public programming tailored to meet the needs of a growing and diverse population.

The first floor has customized collections, play areas, interactive activities, technology dedicated to children from birth to 12 years old.

A digital creativity lab with a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) focus, computing space, and small group study rooms are provided on the second floor and aimed at teen patrons. An adult literacy area, also on the second floor, includes a large classroom and small tutoring space to support adult literacy programs and workforce development.

Genealogy and history enthusiasts will enjoy the section of the third-floor housing material, displays, and computers for research.

If you'd like to learn more, follow the links below for several related articles.

Downtown Library Hours

The Downtown Library is open 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Mondays to Thursdays; 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays; and 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Sundays.

Downtown Library Parking

The Downtown Library is located at 100 Center Street in Arlington.

The 101 Center Garage, across the street from the library, has one and a half levels of free parking reserved for the library and Downtown Arlington visitors. Just outside the library, along Center Street, there are ten handicap back-in parking spaces with additional handicap spaces are located on the west side of the building at Pecan and Main Street. For more information, visit www.arlingtonlibrary.org.

Opening Day Activities

A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on June 16, followed by dessert in the plaza.

Special activities throughout the day included the imagination playground, a selfie station, a photo booth, technology demonstrations, a tween writing workshop with Kimberly Willis Holt, and more.

Visit NBCDFW.com for coverage of the event.

If you missed the guided tours at the ribbon-cutting, you can download the library's new smartphone app and enjoy a self-guided tour. The app includes building maps, general information, sustainable features of the library, and upcoming event invitations.

Getting Around Downtown

By March 2020, the transformation of Abram Street will be complete. In the meantime, Abram St. is open for business! Track #myAbram and visit myAbram.com for the latest information about traffic routing, temporary parking and construction milestones. Download Waze for free and see real-time traffic, find optimal routes and avoid road closures, or leave your car at home and hail Via Arlington Ride Share for only $3.

Subscribe, Post, Tweet and Tag

Subscribe to Downtown Arlington’s weekly e-newsletter, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and tag us with @dtArlington.

About Downtown Arlington

Designated by the State of Texas as the Arlington Cultural District, Downtown Arlington blends a unique mix of activities, sights, tastes and sounds that attract visitors and locals alike. Within its less than a two-mile radius, Downtown is home to a top tier public research university, prolific fine and performing artists and arts institutions, live entertainment, exciting NCAA and professional athletics, one-of-a-kind dining and retail, and a supportive business climate.