McMillan Memorial Library

A grand neoclassical building in central Nairobi, this library was endowed in the 1930s in memory of an American-born landowner and remains one of the capital's oldest public institutions. Twin stone lions guard the entrance steps beneath a columned portico, giving it a stately civic presence. Inside, high ceilings and wooden galleries house colonial-era collections and reading rooms. For decades it was among the few public libraries open to all residents, and it endures as a heritage landmark undergoing restoration in the busy city core.