Boulder Bookstore

Boulder Bookstore on Pearl Street is an absolute gem! This unique independent bookstore has been a staple in Boulder since 1973, and it's easy to see why. With so many titles spread across three floors, you'll get lost in the stacks and discover new favorites. The store's layout, makes it a breeze to navigate and find exactly what you're looking for. The staff is incredibly knowledgeable and always happy to help, and the cozy atmosphere makes it the perfect spot to curl up with a book. It seems that they host events, so you may be lucky to find something interesting happening. They even have a Used Book Section to find hidden treasures at affordable prices, and the staff is happy to help you hunt them down. You can spend a few minutes or a few hours, and you will leave with a bag full of books and other items and a heart full of joy. Loved it!

Old, three-story, winding bookstore with vast categories and a really nice, chill vibe. Probably one of the coolest bookstores I have ever been to, has so many different and unique rooms that you can almost get lost. They also allow dogs which is cool and a fun plus. Would totally recommend.

Beautiful bookstore! I spent so much time in here and lost track of time that my parking expired and I got a violation 😅 plan to spend a good amount of time here, it's amazing for book lovers! A great selection and great sales

Just… WOW. If you like exploring bookstores, honestly this place is worth an hour drive (or more!). If you’re just browsing, give yourself adequate time — it’s 3 floors of literary goodness. It’s laid out well, with a few maps of the layout to help you get your bearings. There are a mix of new and used books, at a wide range of pricing: new books at full price, used books at a fair price, and a few areas with deeper sales on new and used books. They sell more than just books. You can also find book-related items: reusable totes, blank notepads, bookmarks (including some free ones, located right at the top of the stairs going to the second floor), book-related shirts & hats, stickers, pins, stationary, etc. Boulder Bookstore is a staple of the city, and if you’re into books at all, it can’t be missed.

Without doubt our favourite bookstore with a huge selection of books, friendly staff and a great layout. I love that second hand books are mixed in and how they offer 10% off everything for members. They set the standard for bookstores!

Wonderful bookstore! We could have spent the day in this one shop alone. Amazing old building stocked full of books and goodies.

I love visiting here! It looks small on the outside, but there's at least 3 stories to this (pun unintended) on the inside! 🥰 Each "wing" has a wide collection of books. They're all very well-maintained and it's easy to search for a particular book if you have one in mind. The workers have always been very kind and very helpful 💙 I always plan on stopping by when I'm in the area!

Everyone loves Boulder bookstore. It's been there forever, best selection of books. Multiple floors. Even a meditation room with books on Eastern philosophy. Lots of private book, signings, intelligent people, charming!

A must visit when on Pearl Street. There's a wide selection of books for all stages of life and plenty of interesting knick knacks and home goods. I always come out with something fun and new!

So much to explore so little time! There is a a wide variety to choose from. Each genre represented well. While we weren't here long, I did make note I'd love to return. The store itself is super super cute and three floors if I saw correctly. The store was PACKED! I definitely think that's a great sign.

Great three story book store. No elevator. Lots of out of print books. Cool notebooks, socks and more

Do not purchase here! Took my son to purchase some books and was treated rudely, ignored, all because I have darker skin! Typical racist Boulder behavior! This type of underhanded racism should not be ignored! Don't give them your business!

This is a large bookstore with a huge selection of books, book-related merch, and gifts. I could spend hours in this store browsing their store. I like how the store is organized and the staff was friendly. I also felt like the curations and bookseller recommendations throughout the shelves. They also have a pretty extensive used book section with books at a discounted price.

I love large bookstores that I can get lost in. Could literally spend all day here just browsing the five different levels.

Great selection, love the hard to find relaxing vibe! One of my favorite places to shop in lovely Boulder!

Surprisingly one of the best bookstores I have visited in the US. Huge selection of everything from art, psychology, Buddhism, fiction, fantasy, used books etc. They have three floors and extended room into different corners, it is spacious and you wouldnt know from the outside. Their used book prices are reasonable and I love the vibe here - very peaceful and zen despite the large amount of patrons.

I don't think I can write a review that does this bookstore justice. The staff is kind and answers questions. We visited twice during our month long stay in Colorado and the staff were friendly. The book selection is superb with dozens if not hundreds of well priced books. I only own a dozen or so books but bought one to take back with me because of the great deals. The children's section is well laid out with great books, some games, and toys as well. The bookstore also has stickers, shirts, and other trinkets. I love how they have books laying around from authors who have visited and signed their novels. I missed Paolo Bacigalupi by one day. I'm bummed since I've been reading him since he first came on the scene. This is also a beautifully laid out and decorated bookstore. I hope they have a long long future ahead because it stood out.

Boulder Book Store is one of my favorite spots within downtown Boulder and specifically at Pearl Street Mall! I love a good bookstore, especially an independent bookstore, and this one is definitely so unique in its style and offerings! This bookstore is structured almost like a maze, which makes it super fun to explore! Tall bookshelves throughout, with a pretty intentional path and direction you can follow throughout. Every square foot of space is used well and there are so many unique books here I have never found in other places and are definitely very intentionally curated. You can still get your classics or more NYT bestseller types here, but definitely come here especially if you're looking for something a bit more unique and off the beaten path. The store employees are absolutely wonderful as well and incredibly helpful and you can tell they just love working here, which is the mark of a great business! Highly recommend checking out this bookstore and supporting independent!

Great book store. Very well organized Loved that they also include used books. There is a basement too with even more categories. I would absolutely come here again!

I love this spot. They have a great selection and the staff always hits the nail on the head when it comes to recommendations. it is well organized and because it's so big you don't feel overwhelmed by having alot of people around. It being right on pearl allows you to browse before going to dinner which is a huge plus for me!

Went in again today the other day to sell some books. My experience was really good this time. I've always had good experiences at the book buyer counter. The buyer is very kind. I also looked around and made a purchase. The selection here is great for books, obviously, although I was looking at notebooks and there were not too many of those to choose from. Nevertheless I did find one that suits my needs. The building itself and the variety and selection make this a worthwhile destination to locals and travelers alike.

Lovely bookstore with lot of things to offer other than books, they have souvenirs, chocolates, artwork and stationeries. I found my favorite book here.

Wonderful store with a plethora of gifts. From books to shirts to stickers they have you covered. In fact it's difficult to walk by without stopping as they often have exciting books outside in front of the store. The children's book selection is top notch and they seem to have a fantastic author in house multiple times a month! Shopping local couldn't be any easier so definitely drop in to check them out and pick up that new book you've been eyeing!

Such a great bookstore. Very large variety of books, magazines, etc., huge space, multi levels. My favorite part though is they have an awesome craft chocolate selection. When I'm in town I stop here to stock up on chocolate bars!! I've been here a few times and look forward to stopping in for more chocolate and of course books.

An independent book store that hosts small name authors for book talks. I attended the book talk of Mike DeSocio's for "Morally Straight" (How the Fight for LGBTQ+ Inclusion Changed the Boy Scouts--And America). He answered questions, signed my book, and the staff were very welcoming.

Right on Pearl street market in Boulder, this place is huge! Three floors of books ranging from the latest to more esoteric stuff: puzzles, lgbtq, travel, etc, etc. So much fun to walk around and just get swallowed up by the whole place. When walking on the second floor you may even feel the floor slanted a bit.

Bought the Autobiography of Gucci Mane based off the recommended books. Changed my life. Would go back in a second.

This place is a taste of Heaven. Affordable and spacious. Few bookstores have the selection of this bookstore and the customer service was on point. There are novelty items and a local authors section. They sell used books as well. There was a book I wanted and they didn't have it-they offered to have me buy it there and shipped back to Denver with no shipping charge. My sister and I bought some books and had a great time. There are three floors and parking is in garages or on the street.

If you're looking for a specific book, they have a very organized and comprehensive search engine on their website. And if it's not in the section it would typically be found in, check the Best Sellers and Recommended sections that are placed at the entrance where people first turn in. If you're looking for a specific section, look for the maps they have posted around about which section is on which floor or wing. They don't have public restrooms, but there is a locked bathroom in the back of the ground floor. Don't know if they'll allow customers (vs general public) to use it specifically, but if it's a no-go, then there are the actually pretty clean public restrooms next to the Downtown Boulder Visitor Center just a block over. They don't ship, but you can order online and pick up your order there. They buy and sell used books for cash or store credit. Don't have any personal experience doing so, but the used book office is in the back of the ground floor and there's a counter when you come up the stairs to the second floor that I THINK is the used bookstore. I definitely want to look into it a little more on my next visit. Also, appreciate how mixed in the used books are with the new while still being marked with a clear sticker that didn't leave a residue on the books afterward. I found some absolutely WONDERFUL used book finds there. Many were still just pristine. Frankly speaking, I want to live here. It's an absolutely gorgeous independent bookstore that's perfect for a college town with it pretty much having a section for every possible subject of study (including college and test guides). Also very useful if you're a tourist doing research as they have an entire section dedicated to just Colorado maps and things. They also have puzzles, a section for stationery, bookstore merch, and just entire shelves of fun, random trinkets. It has its own WINGS with high ceilings and manages to remain airy and light. There are chairs dotted around in the basement and second floor, making it wonderful how you can actually look through your books before buying them. Side note, this is a well-established, old independent bookstore. So you have a lot of authors supporting it by providing them with signed editions you probably won't find anywhere else. And as someone from California, the prices of some of these books are caused me to go on a full shopping spree. In short, I WILL BE BACK. And if my sibling gets me a gift card from this store, I will count it as an absolutely wonderful Christmas/birthday present.

Always love to see an old book store survive the test of time. Located in the middle of Pearl street, this bookstore has so much history and character. They have a comprehensive and well organized collection of books. I would be here all the time if I am local.

They have an extensive selection of books, including a whole room about religion. However the selection on Islam is quite frankly offensive. To start it's hidden in a corner with only translations of the Quran and critiques of the religion. Compared to every other section it's hard not to leave with a bad taste in your mouth. To fix it you could start by moving to the same section as the other Abrahamic religions and not keeping it hidden in the eastern philosophy section!

The most rad book store that I have seen in a while. It's huge, located right on Pearl Street in downtown Boulder, and has the feeling of Meg Ryan's book store in You've Got Mail. Not sure how they have the amount of square footage they have on prime real estate but this has got to be a Boulder staple. Can't say enough about it but it's what every mom and pop store should aspire to. 5/5

a really good bookstore! great selection with 3 floors and walls of staff recommendations! i enjoyed the horror section but perused the entire store and loved every second! many beautiful editions of classics as well as an ample young reader's section which is always great to see. definitely worth a visit if you are in boulder!

Boulder Bookstore is located on Pearl Street mall. Such a large selection of books. The store does a great job of highlighting books by genre, employee picks, favorites of Boulder; bestsellers, etc. They also sell used books, which is awesome! I love buying a book, then going to a local coffeeshop and drinking chai while reading and people watching. I could browse in this store all day and have to limit how many books I buy. I always find new authors and books I had not heard about; or find the exact book that I wanted. They have a great selection of cards; and other small items. Love this bookstore!

Pain in the arse. Returns aren't easy, books are double to1/3rd more than amazon and transactions are difficult. Ive lived in boulder 17 years and this place continuously drives me to buy $1000 worth of books from amazon although id prefer to support local. I dont mind paying a premium if its easy to support local but boulder bookstore's making of an obstacle course leaves me with one choice - amazon. Sorry. Let us know when you get it together

I've been coming here for 35 years. I'm a book person and grew up in this town, in no small part in this bookstore. I'm back in town for a week and stopped in. Great selection, found two books by authors I love. But I really had to pee and they locked their bathrooms and won't let their customers use them. This is dehumanizing and bad customer service. I get that it's hard to keep a restroom clean and some people are jerks. But if you can't figure out a way to offer your customers a place to pee, I can't come in here anymore. So long, and thanks for all the... books.

I am a huge fan of local book stores and this location did not disappoint! There is something here for everyone and multiple levels to explore. They also sell used books at a reasonable price and have other fun bookish items sprinkled throughout the store. Fun place to stop at while strolling pearl street!

This really wonderful bookstore has been a mainstay of the Pearl Street mall in Boulder for decades. Strengths include a massive stock of books, stretching over three floors (the store is much larger than it looks from the street front), very helpful staff, and an extraordinarily thoughtfully curated selection of book suggestions at the front of the store. Topic coverage is extremely broad so you'll likely find whatever you're looking for, and also likely leave with some unexpected discoveries. There's a large selection of sale books at reasonable prices and a small selection of gently used books. We'll worth a stop!

This place was amazing. I could walk around for hours exploring the shelves. Lots of great stuff not just booked.

This was the bookstore of my dreams. It had such a cozy vibe and never ending shelves of books! I loved the setup, there were definitely a lot of different places to sit and read a book. They also had a lot of cute journals, puzzles, and other small things. I literally spent two hours straight just looking at all the shelves of books. Highly recommend!!!

This store is huge! Loved the selection of books and gifts. We were able a book I was looking for and a couple fun bookmarks. This is now on my permanent must see list everytime I visit!

I am preparing to move and decided to donate or sell most of my sci-fi paperback collection. I found Boulder Book Store and decided to go there since they offered a cash payment as opposed to store credit which since i"m leaving Colorado wouldn't be of much value. They did buy some of my books and donated the remainder, with my prior agreement, to a charity. I was very happy with my interaction with both of the store employees I interacted with and thank them for their professionalism and assistance.

Visiting Boulder Book Store on a Sunday (free parking!) after brunch is our new thing. I really enjoy all of the selection, nooks and crannies, SALE tables smattered throughout the store, and of course the helpful staff. The second floor is truly magical - it's a former ballroom. Spend some time getting lost on this place is, you won't regret it if you enjoy reading and shopping local. They do have a rewards program but you have to buy into it so if you are an avid reader/buyer it could be worth the investment.

This is the best part of Pearl Street! Oh now I love bookstores like this one .. with all the staff like this one has.. And everywhere you look there's something interesting or eye catching and I want to buy everything! Even if you aren't a book person, you will find a gift for just about anyone here. I love books but I left with a new pair of folding reading glasses, a chocolate gift for my mom and Booda Butter hand cram. (Amazing stuff!) See pics below... I could have stayed here all day

Nice bookstore! Lots of great choices. Lots of maps also. Helpful staff. Enjoy browsing!

Terrible experience. They had me wait 20m at the register because I paid half with a gift card and they didn't know how to process the other half, only to be told at the end that there was no way for them to process the rest. Frustrated I wasn't getting ANYTHING after that ordeal, I said "ok well thanks for wasting my time," and the manager literally said "you're very welcome." He also refused to let me know if the half-transaction went through, saying I'd have to call THEM for a refund if it ended up going through. The employees were very cordial, but that guy is a stain on the entire store.

Huge selection of books in his multilevel books lovers paradise. They also have magazines, cards and some small gifts. Very fun to browse and find some unusual titles. Nicely decorated to make your browsing more interesting.

For the bulk of my childhood, I grew up without a television and books were my entertainment. Most afternoons, I could be found camping out at the College Hill Bookstore. The Boulder Book Store holds such a similar and lovely vibe as that happy time. So many little gems tucked between the shelves. Thoughtfully recommended books. People sitting in the aisles, immersed. Peaceful lighting and tons of different community oriented events offered! Great place to spend a rainy afternoon.

I turned into Boulder Book Store off the Pearl Street Mall on a whim. It was a great decision! This three story bookstore is chock full of new and used books, carefully categorized in various rooms throughout this homey maze of a building. There are reading spots, chairs and even tables scattered throughout, as well as a healthy selection of the standard bookstore gift selection fare: lots of different journals, reading lights, book marks, magnets and so on. This book store reminds me of Powell's on the west coast or an updated version of Baldwin's book barn on the east coast. You will love it, you will find something you need to buy right now, I promise!!

Absolutely unsure what's happened to this place - the tl:dr is that there is no customer service. I had preordered a copy of a new book via their website. I received the shipping notification, and then an out for delivery notification whereupon I noticed that it was out for delivery in a city roughly 50 miles south of me. I called the store and asked that they verify the shipping address was correct. Was told that media mail sometimes takes weird routes (fair enough) and to wait and see if it was delivered, but that if I had a delivery problem it was between me and USPS. I was also assured that there was only one address associated with the order and it was impossible that it shipped to the wrong place. When the package was delivered, I went through the 800 number for the postal service where I was able to verify that the address did not match mine. I decided I'd try emailing this time, and when I went to look for the order realized the book I was expecting hadn't even been released yet. I emailed these details to the email address indicated at the bottom of my order - no response. Then, on the release date I receive an email that my book is in and I'd been sent tracking for a different order. At this point I'd resigned myself to initiating a chargeback via PayPal, but responded immediately reiterating my concerns, my initial call and email, and telling them I'd no longer like the order. The next day the damn thing shows up. So now I've driven to the store itself, paid for parking, and attempted to return the book. I was told there are several email addresses and maybe they went to the wrong one (sure). Then I'm told to leave the book and a note because the order has to be refunded the same way it was placed and they'll "work on it." Not holding my breath at this point but at least I have an email trail and picture of the return. Seriously disappointing.

YAYYY!!! Boulder Bookstore is awesome! Such a large selection of books, apparel, and souvenirs! Neato! Go support an Indy bookstore!

This place is pretty cool. If you are a book lover and find yourself in Boulder, you have to check it out. I mean, there's almost an entire room dedicated just to calendars. I usually have the hardest time finding a small pocket calendar for my purse but here, there were so many choices, the difficulty became being able to make a choice! There are so many floors and rooms branching off that I could spend the whole day here. I think it's bigger than many public libraries! Too bad there isn't anything like this back home.

I go to Boulder Books because they have knowledgeable and helpful staff, great selections of new and used books, and fun gifts and cards. Love every minute I spend there.

This is an absolutely amazing bookstore! I love that it has so much personality to it and the people working there are just so nice as well. When I visit Boulder I make it a priority to stop at the Boulder Bookstore multiple times ! I love that it is independently owned and has a wonderful section of books for anyone and everyone. Shout out to the book buyer :) I honestly should read more in my life and the bookstore kick starts my inspiration to read. Also I was trying to ship a book out and they estimated 2 weeks and it literally arrived in week and the cashier was so sweet!

This place is huge!! You will find something for anyone and everyone. They were really friendly and took their Covid precautions seriously. It was so fun to browse and just wander through here. My husband and I got a little lost. I can't wait to go back.

I could spend hours in this bookstore! One of my favorite spots in Boulder and I go here all the time. Would definitely recommend!!!

What a great local bookstore! It has three levels and a great variety. It's strength is in its recommendations by staff and best sellers in local bookstores nationwide. I appreciate th descriptions of books written on cards. It can be hard to find good books in such a large market, but this store helps to narrow down the options. I purchased Mongrels, a book about werewolves, because I kept seeing recs for it, and sure enough this store recommended it as well. Staff are great. The cashier explained fidget devices to the guest in front of me and I LOVED that she explained it correctly - how people with ADHD and on the spectrum benefit from it the most. I thanked her for being aware of mental/cognitive health needs when it was my turn. Great books and a smart staff - what more do you need?