Library Open Houses 2024
Do you know everything your Library has to offer? Visit one of our Library Open Houses during National Library Week from April 7 – 13 and discover everything you have access to with your library card!
We will have Open Houses at eight of our libraries where you can take a tour, enjoy local refreshments, participate in family fun activities, and win prizes. Enjoy a scavenger hunt and self-guided tour to help you explore what the Library has to offer. Each location will also offer unique prizes and activities for all ages, so feel free to join us for multiple Open Houses and get to know more libraries around the District.
After seeing all the great offerings of your Library District you’ll want to make sure to get a library card before you leave. The Friends of PPLD have cool swag for the first 25 people who sign up for a library card at each open house location.
Open House Schedules
- East Library – Mon., April 8 from 10 a.m. - noon
- High Prairie Library – Mon., April 8 from 4 – 6 p.m.
- Monument Library – Tue., April 9 from 6 – 8 p.m.
- Penrose Library – Wed., April 10 from 4 – 6 p.m.
- Cheyenne Mountain Library – Thu., April 11 from 5 – 7 p.m.
- Sand Creek Library – Sat., April 13 from 10 a.m. - noon
- Fountain Library – Sat., April 13 from 2 – 4 p.m.
- Library 21c – Sat., April 13 from noon – 2 p.m.
Details about each open house are listed below!
East Library
Mon., April 8 from 10 a.m. - noon
Located at 5550 N. Union Blvd. (Colorado Springs, CO)
East Library is notably one of the best locations for working, studying, and reading with a view. Grand floor-to-ceiling windows in the reading bay provide a stunning view of Pikes Peak. This location also offers access to a park right behind the building that you are welcome to enjoy during your visit. Among this library’s features are a makerspace, a teen center, the Education Resource Center (ERC), meeting rooms, two computer labs, and a large children’s area. Near the entrance, you will find the Donald Straton exhibit honoring U.S. Army service members, and one of the Friends of PPLD’s Library bookstores.
As one of our Family Place Libraries, East Library has developmental toys in the children’s area, Family Place Play Group programs, materials and resources for parents, and family support services, as well as access to our Family Place Toy Library.
Enjoy refreshments and music performed by Mountain Harmony in the reading bay, as well as the following activities:
- Scavenger hunt
- Guided and self-guided tours
- Eclipse Watch Party (11 a.m. - 2 p.m.)
- Makerspace demos
- Education Resource Center tours
- Art, puzzle, and gaming activities
- Take & Make activities for all ages
Complete our scavenger hunt for a chance to win great prizes including a $100 family four-pack movie pass complete with popcorn and arcade games at Roadhouse Cinemas or one of three $50 gift cards at Muse Comics + Games.
High Prairie Library
Mon., April 8 from 4 – 6 p.m.
Located at 7035 Old Meridian Rd. (Peyton, CO)
High Prairie Library is a cornerstone of its community that connects people to the resources they need for work, school, and fun. Thanks to an environmental grant, there are geothermal tubes in the ground behind the building that heat and cool the building efficiently. A convenient drive-through window located on the south side of the building makes curbside pickup and book drop-off a breeze. This location also offers ample outdoor space for patrons to enjoy. Stop by and discover the meeting rooms, seed library, computers, and other resources this location has to offer.
Enjoy refreshments and performances by the Falcon High School band, as well as the following activities:
- Scavenger hunt
- Self-guided tours
- A community art project
- A collaborative puzzle
- Discovery Kits
- Raffle drawing for a chance to win a $70 gift card to La Mission Restaurant.
- Take & Make activities for all ages
Complete the scavenger hunt for a chance to win a $70 gift card to La Mission Restaurant.
Monument Library
Tue., April 9 from 6 – 8 p.m.
Located at 1706 Lake Woodmoor Dr. (Monument, CO)
Monument Library, nestled on the north side of the Woodmoor Center shopping mall, offers literacy and resources where there used to be a hardware store. Inside, the library’s Madagascar Day Gecko named Ruby is ready to greet visitors alongside Library staff. Despite its smaller size, this location often lands third or fourth for overall checkouts among all Library locations. On good weather days, people enjoy stepping out behind the building to visit the geese and ducks in Serenity Pond. This location offers a meeting room, computers, art exhibits, and other resources.
Enjoy refreshments and performances by the Rose County Academy of Irish Dance alongside the following activities:
- Scavenger hunt
- Self-guided tours
- Workroom tours
- Duck feeding station
- children’s scavenger hunt
- Button making station
- Board games
- Take & Make activities for all ages
Complete the scavenger hunt for a chance to win a Dave & Busters Family Four-Pack of game cards totaling $100.
Penrose Library
Wed., April 10 from 4 – 6 p.m.
Located at 20 N. Cascade Ave. (Colorado Springs, CO)(There is paid parking. Library cardholders can get two hours of free parking in the parking lot by scanning their library cards at the parking kiosk.)
Penrose Library was recently closed for two months while we shortened and reconfigured the bookshelves. The Open House will include remarks from Library leadership commemorating its reopening. This library, located in the heart of downtown Colorado Springs, features a computer lab, study rooms, a teen center, a large children’s area, and a Law Collection. The attached historic Carnegie Library houses our Regional History & Genealogy department, as well as the Herbert Hilbert Nonprofit Resource Center with resources for small businesses and nonprofits.
As one of our Family Place Libraries, Penrose Library has developmental toys in the children’s area, Family Place Play Group programs, materials and resources for parents, and family support services, as well as access to our Family Place Toy Library.
Enjoy refreshments and ballet performances by Ormao Dance Company alongside the following activities:
- Scavenger hunt
- Self-guided tours
- Remarks from Library leadership to celebrate Penrose’s reopening
- Facepainting activities for kids
- Play minigolf around the bookstacks
- Enjoy the lawn games at the Carnegie Garden (weather permitting)
- Explore the Carnegie Library with Regional History & Genealogy department
- Take & Make activities for all ages
Complete our scavenger hunt for a chance to win great prizes including a $100 family four-pack movie pass complete with popcorn and arcade games at Roadhouse Cinemas or a $50 gift card to spend at Downtown Colorado Springs businesses.
Cheyenne Mountain Library
Thu., April 11 from 5 – 7 p.m.
Located at 1785 South 8th St., Suite 100 (Colorado Springs, CO)
Cheyenne Mountain Library is one of our shopping complex libraries. It is beloved by its patrons, who know that what it lacks in size, it makes up for with cozy vibes and friendly and knowledgeable staff. Stop by to learn about the meeting room, computers, art exhibits, and other resources that this location has to offer.
As one of our Family Place Libraries, Cheyenne Mountain Library has developmental toys in the children’s area, Family Place Play Group programs, materials and resources for parents, and family support services, as well as access to our Family Place Toy Library.
Enjoy refreshments, visit our staff table where staff will tell you about our various programs and offerings, performances by the Free Time Quartet and the following activities:
- Scavenger hunt
- Self-guided tours
- Life-sized board games
- eLibrary demos
- Community coloring activity
- Take & Make activities for all ages
Complete the scavenger hunt for a chance to win a $50 gift certificate to Caffeinated Cow.
Sand Creek Library
Sat., April 13 from 10 a.m. - noon
Located at 1821 South Academy Blvd. (Colorado Springs, CO)
We often hear people say that Sand Creek Library is much larger on the inside than it looks on the outside. This location is home to our state-of-the-art audio recording studio and one of PPLD’s three makerspaces. It also has a teen center, children’s area, meeting rooms, and a computer lab.
As one of our Family Place Libraries, Sand Creek Library has developmental toys in the children’s area, Family Place Play Group programs, materials and resources for parents, and family support services, as well as access to our Family Place Toy Library.
Enjoy refreshments alongside the following activities:
- Scavenger hunt
- Self-guided tours
- Recording studio demos
- Art and activities in the children’s area and Teen Zone
- Studio 21c and the makerspace - Try your hand at Karaoke or, experience musical instruments and see laser and 3D printer demos
- Giant Connect Four
- A craft in the makerspace
- Board games
- Take & Make activities for all ages
- Learn about Library resources like Pikes Peak Culture Pass, community resources, and our adult education and career navigator resources
Complete our scavenger hunt for a chance to win a $100 family four-pack movie pass complete with popcorn and arcade games at Roadhouse Cinemas.
Fountain Library
Sat., April 13 from 2 – 4 p.m.
Located at 230 South Main St. (Fountain, CO)
Fountain Library’s building was designed by Elizabeth Wright Ingraham, a well-known Colorado Springs architect and granddaughter of Frank Lloyd Wright. The History Wall inside offers a panoramic look at Fountain’s history dating back to its founding. Fountain Library also offers the only Community Room in the entire Library District that patrons can reserve before and after library hours. This location offers a children’s area, a meeting room, a teen center, art exhibits, computers, and other resources.
As one of our Family Place Libraries, Fountain Library has developmental toys in the children’s area, Family Place Play Group programs, materials and resources for parents, and family support services, as well as access to our Family Place Toy Library.
Enjoy refreshments and Fountain Library’s art gallery along with the following activities:
- Scavenger hunt
- Self-guided tours
- Idea Lab: Lego Build (one of our regular programs for ages 5 – 12, from 3 – 4 p.m.)
- Learn about early literacy and Family Place Libraries
- Play Mario Kart game with your family and friends
- Participate in birdwatching activities
- Enjoy the art show exhibit by Fountain-Fort Carson District 8 students
- Puzzles and games
- Take & Make activities for all ages
Complete the scavenger hunt for a chance to win great prizes including a $50 Walmart gift card or a portable Bluetooth speaker from SCHEELS.
Library 21c
Sat., April 13 from noon – 2 p.m.
Located at 1175 Chapel Hills Dr. (Colorado Springs, CO)
Library 21c offers plenty of space for patrons to work and relax with a beautiful view of Pikes Peak (even if it’s not as grand as the view from East Library). This location is home to a large event venue and PPLD’s test kitchen classroom. Its gallery hosts different exhibits each month. Library 21c also has the Library’s audio-video studio, a makerspace, and an edit bay for video projects. Stop by to discover the large computer lab, teen center, large children’s area, meeting rooms, gaming room, and other resources. (Check out a virtual tour of Library 21c on our website!) Right now, Library 21c is undergoing a process to replace the turf grass in an effort to create a lawn with more sustainable, water-friendly native grasses.
As one of our Family Place Libraries, Library 21c has developmental toys in the children’s area, Family Place Play Group programs, materials and resources for parents, and family support services, as well as access to our Family Place Toy Library.
Enjoy refreshments made by the students of the Food Industry Training program and musical performance by students from Victoria’s School of Harp alongside the following activities:
- Scavenger hunt
- Self-guided tours
- Makerspace and studio tour, including 3D-printing, audio, and video recording demos
- Video games for teens
- Lawn games
- Board games
- children’s scavenger hunt
- Take & Make activities for all ages
Complete the scavenger hunt for a chance to win a Dave & Busters Family Four-Pack of game cards totaling $100 or a board game.