The State Library occupies a rambling Victorian complex on North Terrace beside the South Australian Museum. Its public reading rooms are open to all and include the original Institute Building from 1884 — a grand Italianate hall with a glass barrel-vaulted ceiling that is one of the most beautiful reading rooms in Australia.
The library holds significant historical collections: the Mortlock Wing (named for a prominent benefactor) is a spectacular three-storey atrium of cast-iron galleries, usually used for exhibitions. The library's collection of colonial-era newspapers, maps, and photographs is available for research. Worth stepping in from North Terrace just to see the architecture.