The lions out front have names — Patience and Fortitude — christened by Mayor LaGuardia during the Great Depression, when he decided those were the two virtues New Yorkers needed most. They’ve watched over Fifth Avenue for more than a century.

More than a library, this is a monument to the radical idea that knowledge should be free to everyone — a value our guides feel deeply, since it’s the same spirit behind a free tour. Inside lies the Rose Main Reading Room, one of the most beautiful public rooms in the world.

This is stop 02 of five on our free Midtown walking tour — about two hours, 1.5 easy miles, and completely free. You pay whatever you feel the experience was worth at the end.