Discover Denver 2019: Best Used Book Stores
Best Used Book Stores
Tour by Doug Hrdlicka
Photos by Giles Clasen
With summer comes one of the best seasonal traditions: settling on a park bench or on your couch for a long, lazy afternoon of reading. As the dog days of summer heat up, visit these spots to find a great, affordable book to cool down with.
1. Capitol Hill Books
300 E. Colfax Ave. | (303) 837-0700 | capitolhillbooks.com
Legions of text from pre-biblical philosophy to modern novellas rank among the extensive catalogue of Capitol Hill Books. The old smell of their pages welcome you as you walk through the door and between the narrow passages of the bookshelves. This is the type of place where you get inexplicably lost while scanning through works of the known and unknown before realizing an hour has gone by. But before you leave, be sure to grab their punch card that rewards you after buying a book.
Directions: It’s just a ten-minute stroll (less than five minutes by bike) to the next stop, following Colfax east until heading two blocks down Pearl St. towards 13th and Washington.
2. Kilgore Books
624 E 13th Ave. | (303) 815-1979 | kilgorebooks.com
Stacked with used books of all categories, Kilgore Books carries the same Capitol Hill Books. Upon entering, you are met with endless pages with everything from deliberate accounts on Russian camps holding political prisoners to the throes of love; just a few examples among many. Although vast collections may be intimidating, presented with it as a challenge can be fruitful and Kilgor’s offerings are rich.
Directions: Simply go a couple of blocks west on Colfax to Broadway and follow it down to the South Broadway district and the next bookstore.
3. Mutiny Information Cafe
2 S. Broadway | (303) 778-7579 | mutinyinformationcafe.com
The coffee shop-bookstore hybrid Mutiny is a cool escape from the summer heat when you want to relax, read a good book, and grab a pick-me-up. One of the most enticing features is that it’s open until 1 a.m. and often hosts live events. It is an oasis from a stretch of bars or the perfect jumping point for an evening out, but whatever your choice, Mutiny is worth the visit on any day.
Directions: Continue straight down South Broadway to the final stop on Broadway and Florida, a less than 15 minute bike ride.
4. Gallagher Books
1454 S. Broadway | (303) 756-5821 | gcbooks.com
Gallagher Books sets the bar for vintage bookstores, reigning with a collection of timeless originals. Imagine pulling a scuffed book to thumb through its pages and finding it’s marked as an early edition dating back to the 19th century. There is an enchanting quality to an old book and that will come to you in abundance here.