If you haven't been to the presentations and exhibits at the Linda Hall Library on the UMKC campus, you are missing out on a plethora of extraordinary events. Everything from a small outdoors concert, to great speakers, adventurers, astronauts, and authors from all walks of life, on more diverse subjects than you can imagine. And then there are tours of the historic trees and tree peonies in the Arboretum, and bird walks. And almost all are free to attend! Even if at first think I may not be interested when I read the description of one of their presentations, once there, I find I couldn't possibly be more wrong! Today's was the screening of one of the most fascinating (and humorous) films I've ever watched, "From Fossils to Flesh," about the the development and creation of incredibly detailed life-sized sculptures of dinosaurs for the Edelman Fossil Park & Museum of Rowan University in New Jersey. All of the creatures were brought to life in the studio of world-renowned Paleoartist, Naturalist, Maker, Sculptural artist, Gary Staab, in Kearney, Missouri. I highly recommend googling The Linda Hall Library to check out their many FREE offerings, and you'll not only be enticed to attend, but you might also want to sit down and read from the vast collection of historic and modern books and publications in this renowned science library! read more

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What a fantastic library! I've been wanting to come to the Life Beyond Earth exhibition since it opened in October 2024. I got here near the end of April in 2025. It closes in June. Glad I made it! This exhibition does a great job of covering a lot about outer space, including, but not limited to, aliens, exoplanets, UFOs, astrobiology and exobiology. There are various displays throughout the rooms covering astronomy, the history of observation of space from the Renaissance, all the way up to the Tic Tac and Gimble UAPs. There's also a very nice display about historical cookbooks and different recipes used early in the 20th century and by various branches of the US military to feed their troops. Everyone working here was very kind and welcoming. There is free parking directly in front of the library for patrons, not for students. Just FYI, the Linda Hall Library is on the campus of UMKC. read more

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For starters, this library is on the campus of UMKC just east of the Plaza. No, I'm not a student nor am I in academia, but this location is yet another beautiful place in our fair metro that is worth the discovery. This visit was in the later part of spring, just as the peonies were at their (very short) peak. I was there to be in the audience for a panel discussion on the advances in science and biomechanics of baseball. It was fascinating and very well-attended, but the venue and the grounds were the real winners. Linda Hall Library fits very well into the UMKC campus. The grounds reflect a smaller arboretum, and the showiest trees and flowers are not unlike Loose Park, which is nearby. Spring is a showcase, but I am sure that fall is equal splendor. Parking is easy and as a patron you can park very close to the entrance. The venue hosts a number of events and exhibitions throughout the year and is essentially an undiscovered gem right in the heart of Kansas City. Check it out! read more

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It continues to amaze me that Kansas City has so many world-class institutions; and Linda Hall Library is one of them. My first visit was today just a few days after a long Covid closure. The building and grounds are beautiful and compliment the UMKC campus and the antiquities within. The library has the largest collect of privately owned books and manuscripts related to science and engineering in the world. I was able to see an exhibit today on Moroccan book making - or using goat skin as a binder. With a collection dating back to 1472, I was able to see original printings of books by Galileo, Sir Isaac Newton and Johannes Kepler! AMAZING! They also have a Cosmology theater that is waiting to re-open and feature video feeds from the James Webb telescope. I am not a scientist, engineer or researcher and have no need for ever actually using the collection, but to know that this little fly-over cow town houses such important works truly makes me proud of being a Kansas Citian. If you have any passion or science, books, history or Kansas City, make sure you pay Linda Hall Library a visit. read more

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Five plus, plus, plus stars!!! If you love old books and science history, this is a MUST VISIT stop on a trip to KCMO. I came here while in town because I'd read in a travel magazine that the library has a wonderful rare, old book collection. Sold! It was my most delightful experience of the week! I started out getting a library card (took about five minutes max) during which I asked where I could see the collection of old science books. I was told the librarian was at lunch but that I would be able to see the vault in any case. I mosied my way to the lower level by way of the first floor display and the cosmology theater. The theater was showing some AMAZING images and facts on the Hubble Space Telescope. I loved it. But, the best surprise was still to come! When I got to the room that houses the rare and old book vault, I was wandering around to get a good look when the librarian came over. I was telling her how I had made the last minute stop at the library while en route to the airport after I'd read they had several priceless original print science books. Seeing my excitement, she asked of I'd like to see a few of the highlights. !!!! x 1,000 I then had to wash my hands and I PAGED THROUGH AN ORIGINAL COPERNICUS! I'll be honest, I was so excited, I cried. No shame on my book and science loving game. I also had the pleasure of paging through a very old (1600s?) atlas. The paintings and depictions were gorgeous. All in all, I love this library and feel extremely fortunate to have met a few of the outstanding professionals that work here (as well as some of the best books in the collection)! read more

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We are beyond lucky to have this treasure in Kansas City. They have amazing lectures and out of this world exhibits. World renowned. Excellent parking. Unheard of collection of famous books! You must visit! Go to their website and, if nothing else, check out their events page. Because of them I have made world famous Astrophysics and others. They elevate our community without a doubt and have a staff that believes in what they do. read more

Linda Hall Library - Lecture by NASA. - Libraries Near Me - Kansas City, Missouri

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What a super cool place! The Linda Hall Library of Science, Engineering, & Technology, located at 5109 Cherry Street on the University of Missouri Kansas City campus, is open to the public Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p..m., FREE of charge! The library sits in the middle of a gorgeous 14-acre Arboretum. Explore it on your own, or take the guided tour on Wednesday at 10:45 a.m., or by appointment. The library specializes in collections of books, journals, monographs, etc. on science, engineering, and technology. Most of the materials are in open stacks for your easy access. Comfortable reading areas are scattered around the building. (No food is permitted, but you may have your drink in a closed container, according to a small sign on at least one of the tables I saw.) Search their computers for publications, etc. on your subject matter of interest. (I read a neat book about edible plants. It seems that a LOT more is edible than I ever thought!) Antique and rare books, some dating back to the 15th century, are housed in a closed department on the lower level, but may be brought to the department's reading room for your perusal upon approval of your request. Researchers may view materials in a separate reading room. The staff members in this area are very friendly and helpful, so don't be afraid to ask for assistance. Individuals don't need an appointment, but groups and/or classes do! Special exhibits are fascinating! The current one (August 2010) is: "Thinking Outside the Sphere: Views of the Stars From Aristotle to Herschel." You'll marvel at the beautiful, intricate illustrations from ancient tomes. To see what you missed out on in previous exhibits, click the Exhibitions button at http://www.lhl.lib.mo.us/index.shtml to view the online exhibits. (Also, the above website will tell you everything you need to know about Linda Hall Library! Be sure to read the Library Rules and Regulations, found on the green bar at the bottom of any page)! I especially enjoyed the online exhibits, "Women's Work: Portraits of 12 Scientific Illustrators From the 17th to the 21st Century," and "Vulcan's Forge and Fingal's Cave". Oh, yeah ... and "The Grandeur of Life - A Celebration of Charles Darwin and the 'Origin of Species'." Although a fascinating place, this is NOT a library for young children! Students in their teens, and aduts alike, will enjoy the stunning high-definition audio/visual presentations from NASA and the Hubble Telescope, etc. that show in the Cosmology Theater on the lower level. Most presentations are about 10 minutes long, and run consecutively, and continually during library hours. You are welcome to come and go as you please. You'll be in awe of the views of earth, and of deep space. When my hubby said he wanted to take me here, I expected to be bored out of my mind. Instead, it was one of the most entertaining, educational, enjoyable afternoons I've had in years! I can't recommend it highly enough! read more

I found this library online by accident and being a KC resident my whole life, was surprised I'd never heard of it! So the husband and I brought our two teens along and we did a little field trip on a whim. Surrounded by UMKC, the building is on a beautiful campus and we felt completely safe here. Parking was simple as the library has it's own private parking lot and it's free. We met a very friendly staff member, Patti at the front desk, who gave us a brief history of the library, and set us up with a card. Getting a card was an easy process; only took filling out a small form and 5 minutes of our time. We were there for a little over an hour, and walked through the CSI exhibit, the cosmology theater and the arboretum. Currently there are forty plus projects on display from the recent science fair held at Union Station, too. The books from the CSI exhibit were enclosed in glass cases as some were published in the 16th century! My teens were mostly into how old everything was on display...like a museum for books. We were only in the "rare book room" for a few minutes as it is closed from 12-1pm daily. It would be totally worth it to make an appointment to get a more indepth look at the collection. The cosmology theater was smaller than I had envisioned but still very neat! We didn't stay long as it was a beautiful day and we wanted to get outside. So off to the arboretum we went. The path was nice in some parts and nonexistent in others so you have to walk on the grass, which we were told was okay. A variety of tall giants lined the path such as Austrian Pine, Northern Spruce and Sycamore. Benches were also scattered about to rest on. We will definitely be visiting this library again! read more

I come here to study. Its a private library and they have their own cards. Its quite quiet. Students come here to study and there are the older gentlemen that frequent this place. I like it as it is a safe and good place to study. You can go piss and leave your stuff at the table and no one is gonna try take your crap. Then you avoid the awkward situation where you have to explain to the librarians why this person is on the floor bleeding beside the table you are studying at. The employees are nice. They have a entire post grad fellowship program you can apply for. If you do apply for anything do not do it in person. They will profile you and not return emails or call you for an interview or even acknowledge that you even applied even though you are more than qualified for the position and let the position be kept open for another few weeks before filling it. read more

I was excited to take a recent engineering grad to Linda Hall Library to find study materials for his proficiency exams. Unfortunately, the library collection is quite neglected. The books in the engineering section were quite old and past the point of being useful. Study manuals used by engineering students to prepare for FE exams had publication dates of 1997 and earlier. They could not have been useful for students for over a decade. The librarian suggested we purchase our own books, which of course is obvious anyone going to a library could do. It's sad to see such a great library become academically neglected. It's still a lovely place to study, just bring your own materials. read more