Multiple Reasons to Visit the Boston Athenaeum
In the two years of schooling and 2 years of work after, I do not recall ever hearing of the Boston Athenaeum. It wasn’t until my friend Donna and I were making plans for our visit to Boston that we began looking for new things to do when the Athenaeum website popped up. The architecture is so beautiful we decided it was a must see, and it did not disappoint. We were completely wowed.
Main Gallery first floor; elevator to the right between Book Stacks
The Boston Athenaeum is one of the oldest independent libraries in the country with more than 100,000 works of art including paintings, sculpture, rare books, etc. (Not to be confused with the Boston Public Library founded in 1848.) Rather than try to re-write what is already perfectly written, you can learn more about it here: https://bostonathenaeum.org/
Briefly, it was founded in 1807 and had many locations before settling into its current address at 10 1/2 Beacon Street (a half a block from the State House) in 1897. The building was designated a national landmark in 1965 and has been added on to and renovated several times. Inside is simply gorgeous, augmented by historic statuary, art and countless rows of books.
To make such an old building wheelchair accessible isn’t easy but they have made it work. Outside a ramp was built discreetly hidden by a decorative railing. It leads you into the front vestibule where a single lift takes you up to the main floor. When the security guard saw me, he jumped into action helping me, but it is easy to operate yourself. You will find a coat check and restrooms (including Gender Neutral) just past the ticket counter. The handicapped stall in the women’s restroom is big enough for my scooter, but I did opt to leave it in the hallway outside the restroom as it’s just easier.
Arriving on the first floor using the lift inside the front doors.
There are two elevators—the first one is off the right inside the first gallery. It blends in with the shelves of books, so it’s not so obvious. The second elevator is also off to the right, but it is in the newer section just off of the large reading lounge and outside of the new café, which should be open by the end of this month. We used the first elevator, which accommodated me on my scooter and two people standing.
Should you decide to visit the Athenaeum, make time for the paid tour, which we did not do. While I was very happy with everything we did see, we did not give ourselves enough time here.
Dining:
A new cafe inside the Athenaeum is set to open within the coming weeks. It appeared to be finished but I think they are waiting for licenses or something of that nature. In the meantime, just down Beacon is Mooo, which is where we went for an elegant setting and delicious dinner. The restaurant is accessible through the hotel lobby. The day we were there, they were busy, but most willing to put my scooter elsewhere while we dined. Mooo is located inside a small, boutique hotel and both the staff there as well as the restaurant were most accommodating.