Q. Can I view the Voynich Manuscript?

Given the manuscript's fragility, the large number of research requests, and the Beinecke Library's responsibility to preserve the manuscript intact for future generations, the Library has restricted access to the Voynich manuscript.  The Beinecke Library has made high-resolution images of the entire manuscript available for research in our digital library.  The image viewer will allow you to zoom in to each page and there is also an option to download all of the files.

Scholars requesting access to the original manuscript for their research should submit a proposal to the library at beinecke.library@yale.edu. Proposals should contain a description of the project, explaining why access to the original is necessary, and should demonstrate the scholarly contribution which the research project will offer (e.g. plans for publication in a peer-reviewed journal or by a university press). The Beinecke will make the manuscript available for research only in exceptional circumstances, and researchers are encouraged to consult the scans and other scholarship on the manuscript before submitting a proposal.

The Library also has a very high-quality facsimile which is not restricted and may be requested for use in our reading room.   A coffee table style book with an introduction by Deborah Harkness is also in our collection and available to purchase from Yale University Press and Amazon.  General information about the Voynich Manuscript and related material at the Beinecke may be found on our website and on our YouTube channel.