Mitchell Park Library and Community Center

Mitchell Park Library is where south Palo Alto goes on a rainy Saturday. Families come for the children's area and the playground next door. Teens come for the game area and a place to do homework. Retirees come for tai chi and book clubs. Since it opened in December 2014 the building has also become a model for green civic design, with planted roofs, a living wall and a courtyard built around an oak.

It is technically two places under one roof: the city's largest library branch and the Mitchell Park Community Center. This guide covers how the building came about, its design and sustainability features, what you will find inside and how to plan a visit. For all five branches, see our Palo Alto libraries guide.

From a 1958 branch to a new flagship

The original Mitchell Park branch opened in 1958, paid for by a 1956 bond along with the city's main library. It was a fraction of the size of today's building. In 2008 voters approved Measure N, a $76 million bond to rebuild and renovate the city's libraries. Mitchell Park was the biggest project.

The new joint library and community center opened on December 6, 2014. The library puts it at 56,332 square feet and $46.3 million, paid for by Measure N, the Palo Alto Library Foundation and private donors. Library Journal's 2015 write-up called it roughly four times the size of the building it replaced. The library celebrated its 10th anniversary in November 2024 with architectural tours and commemorative library cards.

The design

Group 4 Architecture, Research + Planning designed the building. Library Journal named it a 2015 New Landmark Libraries winner. A few ideas shape it:

• Two wings that overlap. The plan works like a Venn diagram. The library and community center each have their own wing and they meet in shared, flexible activity spaces. Either wing can run on its own when the other is closed.
• A courtyard around an oak. The city describes the complex as surrounding a courtyard with a mature oak.
• A living wall. Its planting pattern echoes the Santa Cruz Mountains and you can see it from the street.
• Public art. The library notes that art is part of the building, so look around as you walk through.

Our architecture guide places the building in the city's long run of civic design, from Birge Clark's 1930s work to Edward Durell Stone's City Hall.

Sustainability, as published

The library says the building achieved LEED Platinum certification, the top level of the U.S. Green Building Council's rating system. Its own description lists living walls and roof, solar panels, local landscaping and natural heating and cooling. Library Journal's 2015 profile added design figures:

1. Operable windows, with a mechanical system that adjusts to allow natural ventilation.
2. Green roofs planted with grasses and drought-tolerant plants that need little extra water.
3. Drinking water use cut 44 percent at opening, with a goal of up to 90 percent once reclaimed water service arrived.
4. All rainwater managed on site.
5. An energy design meant to beat California's Title 24 code by 42 percent.

These are design targets published around opening rather than current measured results. The building also included an educational game called ecoglyphics that teaches visitors about water, energy and materials.

Inside the library

The library side has room for almost every age group:

• Children's area. A large early childhood space with picture books and room for storytimes. Our storytimes guide lists sessions across the city.
• Teen space. At opening Library Journal described a teen game and activity area with ping pong, pool and air hockey. See our guide for teens for more ideas.
• Technology learning center. The library lists Reboot Services, AI Storytelling programs and Twitch streaming programs here.
• Vintage Media Lab. Digitize old photos, home movies, records and cassettes, by appointment.
• Computers and Wi-Fi. Public computers and the free PA_OverAir_Library network, which needs no password.

The community center

The city describes the community center wing as 15,000 square feet. It holds classrooms and a large multipurpose room that Library Journal put at 500 seats, used for city classes, meetings, cultural events and private rentals. The city also lists Ada's Cafe as part of the campus. Hours for the cafe can differ from the library's, so check before planning lunch around it.

Rooms can be booked through the city. Its Mitchell Park Community Center page links to the rental application, a room availability calendar and pricing.

Programs

The library has built up a wide program list since 2014. It names Sensory Storytimes, English Language Learning classes, robotics workshops, sewing classes, cultural events and home delivery services among them. In late October 2026 its calendar listed Mindfulness Meditation on October 31, Tai Chi with Nelson Ng on November 1 and LEGO Tuesdays starting November 3. Mitchell Park has also hosted a Festival of Lights for Diwali under the city's Celebrating Cultures program. Find current listings on the library's events page.

Hours and visiting

In late October 2026 the library listed hours of 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday. It is the only Palo Alto branch open until 9 p.m. Check the library's hours page before a holiday visit.

Tips for a good visit

1. Come on a weeknight for quiet. Mitchell Park stays open until 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Evenings tend to be calmer than Saturday mornings.
2. Book the Vintage Media Lab ahead. Appointments make sure the equipment is free when you arrive with your box of tapes or slides.
3. Pair it with the playground. A storytime or a stack of picture books followed by an hour at Magical Bridge is a classic south Palo Alto morning with young children.
4. Look up and out. The green roofs, the living wall and the courtyard oak are easy to miss if you head straight for the shelves.
5. Check the events calendar first. Big cultural celebrations and popular classes can fill the community center and the parking lot.

On hot days or wet ones the building doubles as a comfortable public indoor space with seating and restrooms. Our rainy day guide has more indoor ideas around town.

The park next door

The building sits on the western edge of Mitchell Park, a 21.4-acre park with the Magical Bridge Playground, tennis and pickleball courts and a fenced dog run. Each July 4 the city's Chili Cook-off fills the park. Our Greenmeadow Eichler walking tour starts at the library. The Cubberley Community Center is a short walk south on Middlefield Road.

Frequently asked questions