The Worcester Public Library is one of the oldest free public libraries in the country, founded in 1859. The current main building on Salem Square is a 1964 modernist block that was substantially rebuilt and expanded in the 2000s — the result is an unusually pleasant, light-filled space.
The library is worth a quick stop for its local-history room, which has detailed material on Worcester's industrial past, and for the Major Taylor monument out front. Free wifi and clean restrooms make it a useful refuge between sights on a cold day.