Self-Guided Visit
Library visit
Visit the 1911 main library to see Cass Gilbert's neo-Georgian interior, Depression-era Rip Van Winkle murals, and David Wilson stained-glass windows.
- Duration:
- 45 min
Photo coming soon
Museum / Historical Site
New Haven Free Public Library (Ives Memorial Library)
Cass Gilbert-designed neo-Georgian main library, dedicated May 27, 1911 on the New Haven Green, with long-running folkloric reports of a red-haired apparition in the stacks.
133 Elm Street, New Haven, CT 06510
Wheelchair Accessible
Research-Backed · 7sources
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Free public library.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Modern accessible entrances after 1990 renovation.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1911 · Cass Gilbert-designed neo-Georgian / Colonial Revival main library (dedicated 1911) · Funded by Mary E. Ives in memory of her husband · Depression-era Rip Van Winkle murals (1934) and David Wilson stained-glass windows · Renovated and expanded 1990
In late 1907, the New Haven Free Public Library Board commissioned Cass Gilbert — at the height of his career as architect of the U.S. Custom House in New York and, later, the Woolworth Building — to design a new main library for New Haven. The site, on the New Haven Green facing Elm Street, had previously held the early-19th-century Judge William Bristol house. The building was funded by Mary E. Ives in memory of her husband, and Gilbert produced a neo-Georgian / Colonial Revival design in red brick with white marble details intended to harmonize with the colonial architecture of the surrounding city.
The Ives Memorial Library was formally dedicated to the City of New Haven on May 27, 1911. Its interior includes a series of Rip Van Winkle-themed murals painted in 1934 by a team led by Salvatore DiNaio and Frank J. Rutkowski under federal Depression-era art programs, plus stained-glass windows in both circular and rectangular formats by David Wilson.
The library was renovated and expanded in 1990; the renovation modernized infrastructure while preserving Gilbert's principal public rooms. The building serves as the main branch of the New Haven Free Public Library system and is the primary historic library on the New Haven Green.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Haven_Free_Public_Library
- https://cassgilbertsociety.org/works/ives-library/
- https://nhfpl.org/about/the-library/history/
- https://historicbuildingsct.com/new-haven-free-public-library-1908/
- https://ghostsofnewhaven.com/blog/the-ghost-in-the-stack-at-the-new-haven-free-public-library/
- https://thenewjournalatyale.com/2015/01/haunted-haven/
- https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2023/10/31/new-haven-ghost-walk-reveals-spooky-secrets/
Female apparition with long red hair in the stacksWhispers and footsteps in empty reading rooms (per tour accounts)
According to Ghosts of New Haven and two feature articles in The New Journal at Yale ('Haunted Haven,' 2015; 'Local Haunts,' 2019), a recurring report describes a quiet female apparition with long red hair seen searching the library stacks. In the most-circulated version of the legend — told most fully in 'Haunted Haven' — a Yale student becomes fascinated by the red-haired woman over multiple visits and, on the day he finally resolves to speak to her, follows her into the newspaper-archive room, where she silently shows him an open paper from the 1920s carrying her own photograph above a headline about a murder in the library.
The library is consistently included on New Haven's longest-running ghost walks. However, the underlying premise — a 1920s murder of a young woman inside the library — does not appear to be supported by surviving New Haven newspaper coverage of the period; the New Journal at Yale's 2015 piece presents the story explicitly as folklore. Within HauntBound's editorial framing the apparition story is treated as folklore-grade rather than a documented incident.
Additional minor reports — sourceless whispers in the stacks and footsteps in empty rooms — are attributed to library staff in tour-guide narratives but lack documented incident reports.
Notable Entities
Unnamed red-haired apparition (folkloric)
Media Appearances
- The New Journal at Yale — 'Haunted Haven' (2015)
- The New Journal at Yale — 'Local Haunts' (2019)
Plan Your Visit
1 way to experienceSources & Further Reading
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
- 1.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Haven_Free_Public_Library
- 2.cassgilbertsociety.org/works/ives-library
- 3.nhfpl.org/about/the-library/history
- 4.historicbuildingsct.com/new-haven-free-public-library-1908
- 5.ghostsofnewhaven.com/blog/the-ghost-in-the-stack-at-the-new-haven-free-public-library
- 6.thenewjournalatyale.com/2015/01/haunted-haven
- 7.yaledailynews.com/blog/2023/10/31/new-haven-ghost-walk-reveals-spooky-secrets
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is New Haven Free Public Library (Ives Memorial Library) family-friendly?
Working public library with active children's services; haunting lore is folkloric and atmospheric rather than graphic. Overall family fit: High.
How much does it cost to visit New Haven Free Public Library (Ives Memorial Library)?
Free public library. This location is free to visit.
Do I need to book in advance?
No advance booking is required, but checking availability is recommended.
Is New Haven Free Public Library (Ives Memorial Library) wheelchair accessible?
Yes, New Haven Free Public Library (Ives Memorial Library) is wheelchair accessible. Terrain: Modern accessible entrances after 1990 renovation..