Guests and Day Members

• Guests register and pay any associated admission fees at the front desk.
• The reading rooms and stack areas on all floors are open to Day Members.
• The first floor—including art and exhibition gallery—is open to guests with a First Floor Admission ticket purchase.

Bag Policy

• Bags and backpacks smaller than 11×17 inches are welcome and should be carried at your side or for backpacks, worn on the front of your body. This helps ensure the safety of our artwork as you navigate some narrow passages.
• There may be instances where you will be asked to store your bag.
• All parcels, including handbags, are subject to routine checks.

Phones

• Phone booths on floor 4 can be reserved for phone and video calls.
• Short and respectful phone use is permitted in the Leventhal Room (first floor), fourth-floor living rooms, and terraces.
• Silence your phones while in the building.

Wi-Fi

• Wi-Fi is available for Athenaeum guests.

Silent Spaces

• The fifth-floor reading room and the Special Collections Reading Room are designated as silent spaces.

Special Collections

• Anyone with a research interest in the collections may make an appointment. Requests to see special collections materials must be made online.

Photography

• Flash-free photography is allowed with some restrictions. Tripods, selfie sticks, and other camera-holding devices are not allowed. Refrain from photographing people without their permission. Props, costumes, and decorations are not allowed.
• Special occasion/promotional photography requires a prior appointment. Submit inquiries to the Events Department at events@bostonathenaeum.org. Rental fees may apply.

Food

• Beverages in closed containers are allowed.
• Food is permitted in the fifth floor members’ lounge, fourth floor living rooms, and our outdoor terraces.
• No food is permitted on the first floor with the exception of catered special events.

Guidelines for Use of Artists Materials at the Boston Athenaeum

• We invite classes and visitors to sketch and draw the art and architecture of the Athenaeum. We are delighted that the collections are a source of inspiration! For the safety of our collections, we allow graphite, colored pencils, erasers, and sketch pads up to 11×17 inches. Please leave ink, paints, markers, pastels, and charcoal at home.
• Visitors and classes are restricted to the first floor for sketching and drawing unless special arrangements have been made.