Brattle Book Shop

A treasure trove for bibliophiles
Noteworthy for: One of the oldest and largest antiquarian book shops in the country, Brattle Book Shop has been delighting book-lovers and the cognoscenti since its founding in 1825.

Talk of the town: The proprietor Ken Gloss appraises books and libraries for major universities and also the FBI, and has also been featured in 'Antiques Roadshow'.
In downtown Boston, this three-story building is packed full of books, both used and practically new, rare first and out-of-print editions, as well as antiquarian tomes and ghostly ephemera from another lifetime. Its riches on offer include over 250,000 books, maps, prints, and postcards.

The antiquarian selections and first editions of classics on the third floor are highly coveted by collectors. But most patrons will be happy browsing the stacks of general fiction and non-fiction on the first two floors. The variety is impressive, and the prices reasonable. Visitors have plenty to explore in the outside discount racks as well, where many excellent deals are to be discovered, including some 19th century books in decent condition.