The Most Iconic Libraries in South Carolina

The most iconic libraries in South Carolina blend history, culture, and community. Moreover, many of them are near top museums, galleries, and historic landmarks, making them natural gateways to the state’s rich cultural heritage. In Charleston, the 18th-century Charleston Library Society offers a glimpse of America’s early literary life, just a few blocks from the famous Pineapple Fountain. Meanwhile, in Columbia, the Thomas Cooper Library at USC and the massive Richland Library Main anchor the capital’s arts district near the South Carolina State Museum and the Columbia Museum of Art. Altogether, these five iconic libraries showcase South Carolina’s enduring love of books, learning, and place.

Thomas Cooper Library at the University of South Carolina, Columbia

The Thomas Cooper Library is the main undergraduate student library at the University of South Carolina. It opened in the fall of 1959 after the McKissick Memorial Library ran out of space, and at the time, it was the first undergraduate library in the South, and only the third in the U.S. Known for its striking modernist design at the time, architect Edward Durrell Stone, the same architect responsible for the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., designed it. In 1963, the American Library Association granted it one of its prestigious Library Building Awards. It is known as the university’s research center, offering more than 300 online databases available to academics across all disciplines. It houses more than 3 million books, as well as extensive collections of journals, government documents, maps, and films.

Nearby attractions include the Columbia Craft Brewing Company, known for its award-winning beers and Margherita flatbread, as well as the South Carolina State Museum, which is hosting the extended ‘Heroes & Villains: The Art of the Disney Costume’ exhibit through January 2026.

Charleston Library Society, Charleston

The Charleston Library Society was founded in 1748, making it the oldest cultural institution in the South, and one of the oldest subscription libraries in the U.S. The library was started by a collective of 19 young men, who amassed an inaugural collection of 5,000 British books, until a fire destroyed all but 185 of them. Housed in a magnificent Beaux-Arts building, at first glance, you might mistake the library for a 19th-century opera house.

As a subscription library, the Charleston Library Society is not a free library. Still, members enjoy numerous benefits in addition to borrowing privileges, including member rates for special readings and events, as well as access to over 200 programs annually, a Reading Room, a Children’s Library, and other private workspaces. Among its many literary treasures, the library is home to letters written by two of America's founding fathers, George Washington and Alexander Hamilton.

While there is so much to see and do in Charleston, including wandering down the cobblestone streets admiring the well-preserved antebellum architecture, the Charleston Waterfront Park is a must, just a 10-minute walk from the library. Overlooking the picturesque Charleston Harbor and the Cooper River, the park features the iconic Pineapple Fountain, a symbol of the city’s hospitality.

Hughes Main Library, Greenville

Like many public libraries, the Hughes Main Library, part of the Greenville County Library System, has a (pun-intended) “storied” past. It opened in 1921 in a vacant storage room on East Coffee Street in downtown Greenville, with an initial circulation of 500 books. When it outgrew the storage room, it relocated to the Jervey Jordan building, where it remained until 1937. The library quickly grew, and more branches were needed to accommodate the growing community of Greenville. In the 1960s, Greenville raised property taxes to build its first purpose-built library facility, which opened in 1970 on the site of the former Greenville Women’s College. A prominent feature of the then-new library was the Hollingsworth-Magill Memorial Globe, an art installation donated by long-time Greenville philanthropists Arthur and Holly Magill, who are renowned patrons of the Greenville County Museum of Art (GCMA).

By the turn of the millennium, Greenville needed a new library with enhanced services, expanded space, and advanced technology. Finally, on October 7, 2002, the Hughes Main Library officially opened. Today, the Hughes Main Library is recognized for its modern design, community events, and extensive public resources. The library’s location on the Heritage Green cultural campus is a two-minute walk from the GCMA and the Children’s Museum of the Upstate.

Richland Library Main, Columbia

The Richland Library has an endearing backstory that began when a group of progressive men and women involved with the Union of Practical Progress, whose goal was the “betterment of society,” formed the Lend-A-Hand Club. Founded in 1895, the club provided free reading material to the city’s less fortunate members and distributed it from the Faith Mission. The club then moved to the City Hall in a room below the Opera House, and the Opera House’s manager’s wife, Martha Cramer, became the first librarian. Over the years, the library’s collection continued to expand, and more branches were added to meet the growing community’s needs. This expansion culminated in February 1993, when the new 242,000-square-foot Richland Library Main opened in downtown Columbia, South Carolina. By 2018, the Richland County Public Library System had 13 locations.

Columbia’s vibrant cultural scene is within a 5-minute walk of the nearby Columbia Museum of Art, whose collection includes European, Asian, American, modern, and contemporary works of art. More than a museum, the community hub celebrates its 75th anniversary in January 2026. The nostalgic Mast General Store, founded in 1883 and one of eight old-time-style general stores in South Carolina, adds historical character to downtown Columbia

Addlestone Library at the College of Charleston, Charleston

The Addlestone Library (also known as the Marlene and Nathan Addlestone Library) is the main library at the College of Charleston, which was founded in 1770, making it the oldest institution of higher learning in South Carolina, and one of the oldest in the U.S. The first class of six students graduated in 1794. The library is the fourth library at the college, dedicated in 2005, and encompasses 140,000 square feet. It welcomes over 800,000 visitors annually, with more than 2 million resources accessed each year. The library houses the Special Collections Department of the college, which includes over 600 manuscripts related to the history and culture of the Lowcountry, the Jewish Heritage Collection, and the SC LGBTQ+ Collection that preserves the stories of the LGBTQ+ community in South Carolina. It will also be the new home of many items from the original John Rivers Communications Museum, including antique radios, telephones, phonographs, and other recording and broadcasting equipment.

The Charleston Museum is a ten-minute walk from the library, with a route that passes through Marion Square, one of the city’s signature public spaces. The square encompasses 10 acres of green space in downtown, hosting regular farmers’ markets and community events. Still, the square has deep historical roots to Horn Work, one of the most impressive military posts of the American Revolution.

History, Literature, and the Arts in the Palmetto State

From Charleston’s centuries-old Library Society to Greenville’s sleek and modern Hughes Main Library, South Carolina’s most iconic libraries are more than places to borrow books; they’re cultural landmarks in their own right. Each one blends history, literature, and community while sitting steps away from world-class museums, leafy parks, and historic sites. Whether you’re a book lover, a history buff, or a traveler, these libraries anchor the state’s vibrant arts and culture scene.