Open Doors 2024 - FULLY BOOKED

Open Doors 2024
Tours at various times on Saturday September 14th.
Places are free. All tours are currently fully booked. Email [email protected] to be notified of any cancellations

See some of the highlights of Gladstone’s Library’s printed collections and archives, have a tour of our Reading Rooms, and go behind the scenes in our strongrooms.

This year’s event will focus on the early years of Gladstone’s Library. We’ll explore the foundation of the Library by William Gladstone in 1894 and what it looked like during his lifetime, the construction of our current building as the national monument to Gladstone after his death, and early visitors to the Library. We’ll discuss Gladstone as a lifelong reader and book-lover, his vision for the Library, and how this is implemented today.

The Reading Rooms are open to people who join as Readers or sign up for a day pass to use our library and archive collections, and the restaurant and café is open to the public. The Reading Rooms are not usually open to visitors. For Open Doors, however, people will be able to visit the Reading Rooms and see behind the scenes in our strongrooms, which are usually only open to staff. 

TOURS 

Tours start at Gladstone’s Library’s main entrance. Tours start at:

9.30am, 10.45am, 12pm, 2pm and 3.15pm. All tours are currently fully booked. Email [email protected] to be notified of any cancellations

Tours last approx. 60 minutes. Maximum 18 people per tour. 

Lunch is served in the Library restaurant from noon to 2pm. Hot drinks and sweets are available 10am to 5pm. We recommend booking ahead if you choose to dine during your visit. 

People booking tours at Gladstone’s Library may also want to book tours at North East Wales Archives in the Old Rectory and Hawarden Masonic Hall, both a short walk from the Library. You can find the full CADW Open Doors event directory here.