Visiting Cotsen Children’s Library at Princeton

Cotsen Children’s Library is a gem tucked away inside the Princeton University Library that my family and I stumbled on one day while wandering around Princeton’s picturesque campus. Our kids were thrilled, and we adults were impressed too.

The library boasts whimsical places for older kids to sit and read, as well as exciting places for younger children to explore, like a Bonsai tree house. Cotsen also hosts regular events, including weekly storytimes. Read on for more details on this exciting children’s library.

And, if you’re traveling to Princeton for the day, check out our Princeton roundup for more fun things to do with your family.

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Exploring the Cotsen Children’s Library

The Cotsen Children’s Library is located inside the Princeton University Library, right next to the Princeton University Chapel. Since the chapel is a taller building on campus, it can be a nice landmark to look for while meandering around campus toward the library. When you enter the library on the first floor, turn right. You will walk by some bathrooms and then on your right, you will find the entrance to the children’s library.

Upon walking through the double doors, you will see stroller parking to your right, which is often full if there’s an event. The feeling of whimsy is upon you from the moment you walk by a giant book and step through the archway with fake bushes shaped like animals. 

Across from the fireplace, you will see a section that resembles a den or a library. Every part of this “house” has shelves of hard-covered,  vintage-looking books. This section of the children’s library is where I noticed lots of pre-teen kids hanging out, although my 5-year-old loved grabbing the old-fashioned-looking books from this section.

Walking in a bit further, you will come to the area where most younger kids enjoy hanging out. There is a pretend Koi pond on your right, a wishing well, and the main attraction, a two-story Bonsai tree house decorated with lit paper lanterns. Across from that is a puppet theater and a room used for storytime and other events. 

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Kids can curl up with a book inside Cotsen’s Bonsai tree house,

Best Things To Do with Kids at the Cotsen Children’s Library

For younger children, the options are endless. There are puppets for kids to put on a puppet show within the little theater. Kids can also climb into and out of the wishing well and examine the pretend Koi in the little pond. Toddlers enjoy running up and down the little bridge by the Koi pond.

The biggest draw is the impressive, two-story Bonsai tree house. Underneath the tree are giant pillows and shelves of picture books. Make the climb up to the second floor and there are more giant pillows and a small window to peek out at the world below. The climb up to the second floor seems fairly safe, but I would supervise toddlers and not let them go up there alone.

If you are looking for board books you can find them on shelves in the storytime area. There are a few benches and windowsills for parents to sit on, but since they are usually filled you might find yourself sitting on the floor. I am always surprised by how many pre-teen kids I see in the library on weekdays. Mostly I see them talking with their friends or reading books, although occasionally I see a few older kids huddled up together in the second floor of the tree house.

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Tubs of toys at Cotsen entice children to socialize and use their imagination.

Fun Events at the Cotsen Children’s Library

Bookscape Babies: On Tuesdays 11am-12pm (September-July), children ages 2 and younger are encouraged to get active and social in the Bookscape gallery where they pull out tunnels, soft ramps, and plush alphabet letters for the kids to play. No registration is required and it’s FREE!

Tiger Tales: On Fridays 11am-12pm (September-July), kids ages 3-5 can enjoy an interactive story and a hands-on craft. No registration is required and it’s FREE!

Saturday Events: On select Saturdays (September-May) kids of all ages can listen to original Grimm tales, sip Victorian tea, discuss Harry Potter, or learn to speak the language of Tolkien’s elves. Visit the website to see upcoming events and performances.

Annual Writing Contest: Write a 350-word story that includes a sentence of the program’s choosing. Winning stories will be illustrated and posted on the blog, and the winning author will receive a $50 shopping spree. This writing competition is for kids ages 9-16.

Know Before You Go to the Cotsen Children’s Library

• The Cotsen Children’s Library is open Tuesday through Friday from 10am-3pm.
• Plan to spend 1-2 hours in the children’s library.
• The library is FREE!
• Metered parking is available in downtown Princeton and Prospect Avenue, and both are within walking distance. See here for more information on directions and parking.
• Strollers are allowed but they must be parked by the entrance.
• The library is quite crowded and busy when there is a storytime or event, so plan accordingly.
• Bathrooms are located right outside the children’s library inside the Princeton University Library.
• I am not sure if food is allowed inside the children’s library, but I do consistently see kids snacking in there. If you are hungry for a real meal it is just a short stroll across Nassau Street to downtown Princeton where there are plenty of shops and restaurants. Our kids’ favorite stop is PJ’s Pancake House!

Photos by the author