DENVER — After four long years of closures and renovations, the Denver Central Library fully reopened to the public this weekend. The library near the Denver Art Museum and Civic Center Park officially reopened its doors Sunday at 11 a.m.
, marking its first full opening since March 2020. The day began with a festive celebration that included a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring Mayor Mike Johnston, Sen. John Hickenlooper, and library leadership, all gathered in the newly designed Park View event space.
“It kind of feels like coming home again after you've been away for years,” said Alex Hernandez, a special collections librarian who has worked at the Denver Central Library for seven years. “It was definitely painful for a lot of us because a lot of us got into this because we like working with the public.” Hernandez wasn’t alone in his sentiments.
Hundreds of people turned out for the ceremony, with many more streaming in throughout the day to explore the newly revamped library. “It definitely seems like there was this longing and like they’re finally able to return back home after a long stay away when they weren't able to come back. Lots of happy, smiling faces.
That’s been pretty great,” he said, expressing his gratitude for the turnout. He said he had never seen so many people of various ages excited about what the library has to offer. For some visitors, the library was an enigma.
Rachel Vranizan, exploring the floors with her mother and sister, shared.
