Powell’s City of Books

1005 w. burnside st. / portland, or 97209 (map/directions)
800-878-7323

store hours: 9am – 11pm daily
sell us your books: 9am – 8pm daily
rare book room: 11am – 7pm daily

Powell’s City of Books is the largest used and new bookstore in the world, occupying an entire city block and housing approximately one million books. Located in downtown Portland’s Pearl District, the City of Books has nine color-coded rooms and over 3,500 different sections, offering something for every interest, including an incredible selection of out-of-print and hard-to-find titles. Dozens of acclaimed writers, artists, and thinkers visit each month to read in the Basil Hallward Gallery (located upstairs in the Pearl Room), and a one-of-a-kind Rare Book Room draws bibliophiles from near and far to browse an impressive collection of autographed first editions and other collectible volumes. 

City of Books Guided Tours

Please note: We will not be conducting Sunday tours on March 31 due to the increased store traffic associated with Spring Break.

Tour Hours: Sundays at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Powell’s offers free public tours of our flagship store every Sunday. Learn the history of the world’s largest independent bookstore, from the Pillar of Signatude to our Rare Book Room! Tours last approximately 45 minutes and are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

If you have a party larger than 15 people, or are interested in scheduling a private tour on a weekday (minimum 8 people), please email tours@powells.com for more information.


Press:
"Interview With a Bookstore" (The Guardian/Literary Hub)
"Why Powell’s Bookstore Will Outlive the Kindle" (Conde Nast Traveler)
"The 10 Best Independent Bookshops in the World" (The Guardian)
"The ONE Thing You Must Do in Each U.S. State" (Huffington Post)