10 Awesome Bookstores Repurposed from Unused Structures

A few months ago, we showed you a collection of wonderful libraries repurposed from unused buildings, but we can’t let libraries have all the fun. Despite the media-fueled fear that they’ll all be abandoned buildings themselves someday soon, brick-and-mortar bookstores are also recycling spaces, cleaning out old factories, theaters and even boats, and filling them up with books. What could be better? Click through to check out our roundup of brilliant converted bookstores, and let us know if we’ve missed your local favorite in the comments!

When you stop by the Librería El Ateneo Grand Splendid, a gorgeous converted 1920s movie palace, you can take a break in one of the theater boxes, now as reading rooms. But be quick about it — El Ateneo is one of the most famous (and popular) bookstores in Argentina. Photos via and via.

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LindaVanDeusen 5 pts

I just found your story on 10 awesome bookstores. One of them is only a half hour or so away from me and I never even knew it existed!! I seriously have to take a drive down there one of these days!!!!

Oh wow! :"> Ughhhh. These are just so lovely and creative. :)--------------

This place isn't just books the this one is in a huge old chicken barn between Bucksport and Ellsworth, ME http://www.bigchickenbarn.com/

Check out Recycled Books in Denton, TX! recycledbooks.com One of my favorite places to buy and sell books when I was in college there! It's inside an historic (Purple!) opera house and has three floors of used books! My favorite part is that EVERY nook and cranny has book shelves, even the closets! Here's a great write up! http://www.texasobserver.org/postcards/booking-to-denton

Barter Books in Alnwick is where the 'Keep Calm and Carry On' posters were rediscovered in 2000. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrHkKXFRbCI

The Alabama Theatre bookstore (originally a Bookstop, then a Borders) was actually renovated twice. As the Bookstop, they kept the mezzanine seating and the screen (I worked there when they showed movies to the employees for parties). When it became a Borders, the mezzanine seating became more bookshelves, with a small cafe, and removed the screen (although the space for the screen remained). Through all the renovations they kept the look and feel of the theatre and worked to maintain the wonderful Art Deco paintings and decor.

Another beauty is Munro's Books, in Victoria, BC, CANADA. It is housed in a converted bank... http://munrobooks.com/about/ ps: it is also owned by Alice Munro's ex-husband, Jim.

Wow and I thought Portland had a few nice Bookstores- Powells is very nice...

There was another Borders in a fabulous old theater in downtown Palo Alto, CA.

Great list, but how the heck did Powell's Books in Portland, not get on it???? They repurposed an old warehouse in downton Portlaand, years ago, and have become legend. I live in Vancouver (Canada) and I always make a point to visit Powell's Books whenever I travel to/through Portland. A real miss for your list!

I wish I could think of something more articulate than "Wow" and "These are perfect". But there you go. Wow. These are perfect.

Would love to enjoy this type of content with slightly less clicking - any chance of you guys updating your format anytime soon?

You should do a post discussing the opposite phenomenon- the site of a good bookstore becoming a non literary retail establishment... Three NYC suggestions: (1) Books and Company on Madison Ave.-- still an empty space (2) Brentano's on Fifth Ave. now a Sephora (3) Doubleday Bookstore on Fifth Ave. now a Prada Store.

I second the Montague Bookmill. http://www.montaguebookmill.com/ The cafe overlooks the river. Part of the fun is the drive through the surrounding woods to get there. And they have the best tag line: "Books you don't need in a place you can't find." it's well worth the search.

I was lucky enough to live about 20 minutes from the Selexyz bookstore for a couple years. It's gorgeous. I miss it. *sigh*

the book store that made me love book stores: the shire, in franklin, ma. i miss it so much! it's an enormous, sunlit, dusty-in-a-great-way space in what used to be a mill. in addition to being beautiful, they have three of everything, and the owners can always walk you right over to whatever you're looking for. http://www.shirebookshop.com/

I'm crazy about the Battery Park Book Exchange and Champagne bar in Asheville, NC. http://www.batteryparkbookexchange.com/photos

The Montague Bookmill in Montague, MA has a wonderful, eclectic offering of used books, a cafe, and a restaurant, all housed alongside a river in an old New England mill building.

A movie theatre becoming a book store is very funny - irony worthy of a book.

The Alabama Theater in Houston is indeed being converted into a Trader Joe's.

The Book Loft in Columbus Ohio used to be a saloon, general store and Nickelodeon theater. Its a huge 32 room store and definitely worth a mention.

In the eastern suburbs of Cleveland we once had a lovely Barnes & Noble repurposed from a movie theater, but it closed and the building is now a bar/restaurant.

The East Colfax branch of Tattered Cover was repurposed from an abandoned stage theater. Scroll down for pictures of the former Bonfils theater. http://www.tatteredcover.com/40th-birthday-celebration-0

This doesn't technically count because it's a library, not a bookstore, but this amazing-looking library was converted from an abandoned Walmart. http://mcallen.smugmug.com/Library/New-Main-Library/Photo-Tour-February-2012/21303444_Sc6XQg#!i=1696339140&k=ZfV7ws4