The Enoch Pratt Free Library has finished it’s $115 million-dollar renovation that began in 2016. In the last three years they have deferred many of the regular visitors to different branches, due to construction and scaffolding around the Mount Vernon building. The center is much more comprehensive now, boasting a brand-new children’s department with new classrooms. In an effort to become a more modern community center, the library has added workspaces, an audio and video recording center, and more public computers. They were also able to restore many original features of the building’s facade as well, like the molding and painting, completely revitalizing the central hall.
Jourdan Taylor
Outdoor Cathedral Stage
On Saturday, September 14th, 2019, the community celebrated it’s grand re-opening with a block party on Cathedral St. The festivities were both indoor and outdoor, with multiple stages featuring musical performances. Outside of the library were the “Eats on Cathedral” local food trucks, serving Baltimore’s favorites like seafood, wings, and more. Different STEP teams, line dancers, and even a belly dancer performed for the audience on the Cathedral Street Stage. In the library’s newly restored central hall was a smaller stage where children were invited to follow along in dance and song instructed by different groups from the area, like dance&bmore.
Jourdan Taylor
Greek on the Street Food Truck as part of “Eats On Cathedral”
The block party began at 11 a.m., the ribbon-cutting ceremony took place at 12 noon, and the celebration went until 4 p.m. Take a virtual tour of the library and learn more about the renovations at https://www.prattlibrary.org/grand-reopening/