Landa Branch Library — Attraction in San Antonio

The Landa library is gorgeous and quirky. This old building (residence?) was repurposed as a library and park. Whenever I’m there I feel as if I’m hanging out in someone’s mansion villa from the 1920’s. Pardon the digression.

Ahem.. As a library, I sometimes study here and enjoy the uniqueness of going through several smallish rooms to find books. There aren’t many computers to use, but there are a few outlets to power your devices and the staff has always been friendly and knowledgeable each time i visited. The children’s section is nice and even has a few toys and arts/crafts for your kids to enjoy.

As you can see in the photos, the adjacent outdoor areas are picturesque and ideal for playing or picnic-ing. Over the years I’ve seen many people shooting professional or glamor photos using the Landa library/park as a backdrop. I think this place is a great spot for anyone to visit. Highly...

I feel very fortunate to have Landa as my local library. As many others have mentioned, it's just a beautiful building, surrounded by lovely gardens. It was designed for the Landas by Robert Kelly, who also did Holt House (across Shook St.) and the Belknap Apartments (across Belknap.) The staff are wonderful and have gone beyond the call of duty on several occasions. Super helpful. The upstairs reading area is usually very quiet, and I've worked there multiple times. The collection on site is small, but it's super easy to order material from other SAPL libraries, so I feel like I have a huge collection at my disposal. It's well maintained and always clean. My wife and I also enjoy going there and just sitting on the benches outside. They have a great children's area and do a lot of events for kids. Their twice-a-year book sales are...

Unique, lovely library in a beautiful neighborhood adjacent to Trinity University, though it’s a shame Trinity so neglects its edge on Shook and that Presbyterian Church is probably O’Neil Ford’s worst and cheapest work and that’s saying something. The grounds are well tended and has a large children’s playground. The Landa’s left their estate, with its Mediterranean Villa and expansive grounds, to the city as a house library with a focus on the children of San Antonio. The reason I don’t give it 5 stars is all the loud kids in the library, it really detracts from the ambiance and solitude that are the hallmarks of a successful and enjoyable library experience. It’s often like a zoo, frankly, the librarian’s seem to have little control over the unruly kids and their insufferable...