Lanier Theological Library

Being at the Lanier Theological Library makes me feel like I dropped right into the middle of a Hogwarts scene, and I love it!!! There’s so much to marvel at within this beautiful library. Wonderful place to study peacefully, and to check out the amazing collection & artifacts. Check out their website for directions/​access to the library because it’s a bit tricky.
P. S. Don’t forget to check out the chapel next to the library! It’s gorgeous!

Wonderful place to study even if you aren’t in religious studies! Very quiet and peaceful… definitely a learning environment.

If you want to pretend like you’re not in Houston, you should visit the Lanier Theological Library. Other reviewers have given great descriptions of how to find the place, so I’ll shed some light instead on why you should actually make the trek out here.
1. It doesn’t look like Houston. It looks like Europe! There’s a tiny «town» outside the library you can walk through up to the library, including a beautiful chapel, little river, beautifully lit up trees, and even train tracks. This place is idyllic. Inside, it’s got a warm feel with wood paneling, cozy rugs, and chandelier lighting… oh and those cool lamps that you pull a chain to turn on.
2. Amenities. This place is amazing in terms of comforts. There’s a kitchen with a Keurig and a free K-​cup for each patron, a microwave/​fridge, cups, and hot and cold water. The bathrooms are squeaky clean, too. WiFi is free although not super fast.
3. Quiet. No kids running around, no screamers (you know, the people who are screaming to have conversations in crowded coffee shops…), no espresso machines or grinders. If you want a study break, take a walk outside around the library and the chapel. The only loud thing was the squeaking of the floors when people walked across them.
4. So many good study spots. If you can’t score your own by-​the-​window study nook, there are several rooms filled with excellent sturdy tables and plenty of seats. There is a second floor but it is a stone cold normal storage space with a table and rather ugly gray walls so stick to the first floor.
If you have signed in with the visitor’s office, feel free to pop in and out without having to re-​sign in. I got hungry halfway through my study session here and I picked up some Chick fil A nearby and brought it back to eat while studying without any problems.
Hours are limited to weekdays and they close at 5pm except Tuesdays when they close at 9pm. The Tuesday late nights don’t hold around the holidays though so call ahead to confirm their hours if you’re hoping to stay late on a Tuesday!

Even if you aren’t a huge religious person, you will enjoy a tour of this place.
This is truly a hidden gem in Northwestern Houston. The library looks like it came from Harry Potter. Besides that, it’s cozy, full of books and an amazing C.S. Lewis collection. I love to go here and curl up and read.
They also have a lecture series once a month and I highly recommend you attend those. I’ve been to two so far and, even though I have no formal religious training, I’ve enjoyed them immensely.
And, as the others have mentioned, the chapel is also stunning. If I ever get married in Houston, I hope it’s there.
So why 4 out of 5 stars? I wish they were open more on the weekends and in the evenings. That’s all.

The library offers plenty if space and privacy for everyone who needs serious study. Internet access is available but keep in mind that some websites are banned by the network provider. Over all this is one of the greatest libraries I have ever studied in.

Amazing. So this guy, Mark Lanier, used his fortune to build a library on his property open to the public on weekdays. (Open til 5 typically, but til 9 on Tuesdays). You just roll up and buzz in to the office. The library itself is epic. As soon as you’re on the grounds it feels like you’re in Europe rather than Texas. The library building seems to belong in the English countryside rather than Spring and everything inside is beautiful wood and leather and it all feels very homey. Perfect place to sit and work or read for hours.
There is also a chapel on the grounds that is open to the public as well. It is a replica of a 5^th century Byzantine chapel, just with modern day A/​C and lighting and an awesome mural across the ceiling. You gotta check this place out.