Getting There

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Admission

Visitors may access all library resources and join guided tours. This ticket also includes access to Permanent Exhibitions, as well as Temporary Exhibitions.

Note: Admission to the Taha Hussein Library for the visually impaired is free.

Admission to the Planetarium

An exclusive ticket for Planetarium shows, the Science Museum and ALEXploratorium can be purchased at the Planetarium entrance. Please check the Planetarium Shows Schedule and fees here.

General Guidelines:

• Entry to the Library of Alexandria is not permitted to children under 4 years old.
• Access to the Main Reading Area is restricted to visitors aged 16 and above, youth aged 4 to16 years are only allowed to enter as part of a guided tour.
• The Children’s Library (6–11 years) and the Young People’s Library (12–16 years) are open to the public all year round, but are accessible by members only during summer and mid-year vacations. During those periods, ticket holders may be introduced to the services provided by the two Libraries through a brief guided tour offered at different hours throughout the day.
• Handbags and laptop bags are allowed in the Main Building.
• Clothes, food, and beverages are not allowed inside the Library.
• Personal books are not allowed unless they are stamped from the Internal Security Department.
• Smoking is not allowed at all inside the library.
• Photography is allowed everywhere inside the library, except within a number of specified Exhibitions and Museums, such as The World of Shadi Abdel Salam Exhibition, Selected Artworks of Adam Henein, Seif and Adham Wanly: Motion and Art, Selected Artworks of Hassan Soliman, and Impressions of Alexandria: The Awad’s Collection.
• Mobiles are to be turned off or switched to silent mode. Violators will be subject to a fine of EGP 10.

Guidelines for Visitors:

• Visitors should have the Main Library admission ticket to attend a guided tour, a Culturama Show, the Permanent Exhibitions and the Sadat Museum.
• The reservation for guided tours and Culturama is done through the Visits Front Office Desk. The guided tour takes around 30 minutes.
• Large groups are accepted with prior reservation.
• Tickets for the Antiquities and the Manuscripts Museums are both purchased from the Ticket booth in front of the Antiquities Museum.
• Admission to Planetarium Science Center requires a separate ticket (available for purchase at the PSC entrance).

Guidelines for Schools:

• Prior reservation for the guided Tours is a must. (via personal attendance, phone calls or e-mail).
• Prior reservation for the Culturama is a must.
• Library admission ticket is required.
• The tour takes about 45 minutes.
• Schools have to adhere to the number of students and supervisors reserved.
• The reservation number given by the Front Office Desk must be kept by visitors.

For further inquiries please contact the Visits Front Office Desk:

Tel.: +(203) 4839999; Ext.: 1573 and 1574

E-mail: visits@bibalex.org

Notes:

Visits to the Children and Young People's Libraries require a separate reservation.

For reservations, please contact

Tel.: +(203) 4839999; Ext.: 1628, 1633

The Library ticket does not include admission to the Planetarium Science Center and Museums.

For Planetarium reservations, please contact

Tel.: +(203) 4839999; Ext.: 2350.