NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Nashville's downtown Main Library is celebrating its 25th anniversary Saturday with a free community event featuring live music, family activities, guided tours, and the launch of a summer reading challenge — all made sweeter by the building's return from a nine-month closure.
The Nashville Public Library is hosting the free celebration at its Church Street location from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The library reopened March 30 after fire damage at an adjacent parking garage forced the closure last year.
Families can enjoy face painting, puppet shows, live music, and a DJ. The library is also offering guided tours of special spaces, including the Civil Rights Room and the Votes for Women Room.
Joan Brasher, the library's public information officer, said the milestone feels especially meaningful after the extended closure.
"This anniversary is really special because of the closure. We're just all so thrilled to be back. We've been back in since March 30th and it's just been so fun to see everyone coming back through the doors," Brasher said.
Brasher said the guided tours are a highlight worth experiencing.
"We also are gonna have guided tours, which I have done before and it was so informative, and I learned so much. We have the grand reading room, the Civil Rights room, the Votes for Women room, all of those are very educational and just really inspiring about Nashville's role in these pivotal moments in history," Brasher said.
The library also recently launched its summer reading challenge. To celebrate, the Nashville Public Library has designed special edition library cards featuring Tempo, the Nashville Soccer Club's coyote mascot. The new cards are available starting Saturday.
The Main Library has served as a community hub since opening in 2001. To make it easier for families to attend Saturday's celebration, parking at the McKendree Garage across the street is $4 for up to 12 hours. Free WeGo bus passes are also available at any library branch.
Love Nashville history? The Civil Rights Room and Votes for Women Room inside the Main Library tell stories that shaped this city — and Saturday is your chance to see them up close with a free guided tour. Watch our full report to see what's waiting inside, and share your memories of the Nashville Public Library with Eric Pointer at Eric.Pointer@NewsChannel5.com.
This story was reported by Eric Pointer and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Eric Pointer and our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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