We are located at 20 West Street, Northampton, MA 01060.
View map or get directions from your location
From Northampton center
At the intersection of Route 5 (Pleasant St./King St.) and Route 9 (Main St.), follow Route 9 west for about 2 blocks. Go straight through the traffic light at the Academy of Music, proceed about 100 feet to the next traffic light and turn left onto Route 66 (West St.). The library is on the left, a large stone building with a semicircular driveway.
From Amherst and points east
Follow Route 9 west to Northampton center. Continue on Route 9 west following directions above.
From Springfield and points south
Take I-91 north to Exit 23 (formerly Exit 18). At end of exit ramp, turn left onto Route 5. Continue north to the traffic light at the intersection of Route 9. Turn left on Main St (Route 9) and follow directions from Northampton center.
From Greenfield and points north
Take I-91 south to Exit 26 (formerly Exit 20). Merge onto Route 5 and continue south to the intersection of Route 9. Turn right on Main St (Route 9) and follow directions from Northampton center.
Public Transit
- Pioneer Valley Transit Authority
- buses stop stop at the Academy of Music, Northampton City Hall, and/or Smith College, which are all a short walk from Forbes Library. For maps and schedules, see the PVTA website and click on the Northampton tab. Individuals with disabilities that prevent them from using these buses may be eligible for PVTA’s Paratransit service.
- Franklin Regional Transit Authority
- buses stop at the Academy of Music, a short walk from the library. See the FRTA website for details.
- Northampton Senior Services Transportation Programs
- affordable van and taxi services are available within Northampton, Florence, Leeds, West Hatfield and Easthampton to residents who are 60 and over. See the Senior Services Transportation Page for more information.
- Amtrak and Peter Pan
- Northampton is served by Amtrak trains and Peter Pan buses.
Parking
Metered lot
Forbes has a metered parking lot behind the building.
The fee is $.25 per hour, with a two hour limit on most meters. There are some 4-hour meters at the back of the parking lot. There are a limited number of 30 minute meters on the east side of the building which cost $.25 for 30 minutes.
Most of the meters take nickels, dimes and quarters. A few take quarters only. ParkMobile cannot be used to pay for parking at the library at this time.
Day passes are available for $3.00 per day. They are available at the library’s circulation desk and the Children’s desk.
There is a free 10-minute parking space on the east side of the building for book return only.
All money deposited in the meters goes to the library’s book fund.
Parking is enforced by the City of Northampton, which keeps the money from fines and handles all violation complaints. Meters are in effect from 10 AM – 7 PM, except Sundays and holidays.
Handicapped parking
Handicapped parking is located on the east side of the building.
Additional parking
After 5:00 PM on weekdays, and all day on weekends, the Smith College Parking Garage on West Street is available for free. There are also a limited number of metered spaces on West Street and Green Street.