A rich resource for research, or a place to borrow the latest novel.
The Morrab Library is an independent library established in 1818, situated in the beautiful Morrab Gardens in Penzance, Cornwall. We hold over 70,000 books on floor-to-ceiling shelves as well as archives and a rich photographic collection. The library contains a wide range of both fiction and non-fiction books in the rambling rooms of a delightful Victorian building. The Morrab Library is a registered charity and depends on the support and generosity of our library community.
We are open Tuesday – Saturday 10am-4pm.
Latest news
Reading List for Kensa Broadhurst’s talk “The Cornish Language in West Penwith in the 19th Century”
Every month at The Morrab Library we host talks in the Reading Room for library members and non-members alike. The programme is as eclectic as the library's collection - from the Holy Wells of Cornwall to the History of the English Miniature Painting - and meander...
Faye Dobinson Exhibition in the Elizabeth Treffry Room at Morrab Library | Tuesday 23rd to Saturday 27th April 2024
Artist Faye Dobinson will be displaying the artwork created during her residency at The Morrab Library in the Elizabeth Treffry Room from Tuesday 23rd to Saturday 27th April 2024. Faye called her residency ‘Community Power Structure’, a title borrowed from a 1953 book...
First John le Carré Memorial Lecture to feature “Slow Horses” author Mick Herron
On Thursday evening 2 May 2024 the inaugural John le Carré Memorial Lecture will be presented by The Morrab Library at the Acorn Theatre in Penzance. Tickets for the event have sold out. Sponsored by The Arts Society West Cornwall and planned to be a biennial event,...
If there is an afterlife, I very much hope that those good enough in this one might be rewarded with an exact replica of the Morrab Library – to sit out eternity browsing its shelves, reading in its chairs, and looking out of its high windows.
If you like books, if you like history, if you like beautiful houses, if you like hidden treasures, if you like people, if you like peace, you will LOVE Morrab. In fact, if you are alive, you will love it there.
Whether you’re an impassioned bibliophile or just someone who loves a good read, the Morrab is for you: a Cornish treasure house, a meeting place for like-minded souls, and a vibrant forum for contemporary writing.