My brother and I were spending the day exploring Kittery, York, and Kennebunkport and decided to…read moreswing by Wells on our way back up to Portland to see if anything stuck out to us. We were driving up Route 1 and noticed a few antique shops when we approached Douglas Harding. Since my brother is a fan of bookstores, specifically ones that carry old and rare ones, we decided to stop and check it out. DH sits right on Route 1 in a prime location. It's kind of unassuming from the outside, but once you're inside it gives away to how grand the space actually is. There are rooms and rooms filled with books - I kept walking around thinking I reached the back of the store but it just didn't stop! The shop carries a big selection and is neatly organized by section. There are clear indicators as to what is where, and they keep their rarer finds behind glass cabinets. You can honestly get lost for hours in this place, there are so many shelves to browse, and they have something for virtually everyone - from historical encyclopedia to a tell-all guide to Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. They also have a side room that is filled with maps of spots all around the world for sale. From what I can gather, a father and daughter own/run the shop - they were both friendly and offered help looking for something if we needed it. Overall, this was a great find in Wells - all the times I had been here I had never thought to stop in and I'm glad we did. It's definitely worth exploring if you're in the area.

Lovely to meet and talk to the owner; he's a bit hard of hearing but happy to talk books. He's…read moremoved fully into a smaller building, so not as many books but still an interesting collection.

Lovely shop, wonderful selection and kind service. Absolutely recommend and will be returning!read more

Is this the cutest bookstore in Southern Maine?! Probably! We found this new bookstore just a few…read moresteps away from the busiest part of Perkins Cove and became big fans from the minute we saw it. The small and beautiful building it's housed in is quintessentially Maine. We stepped inside and were greeted right away by a lovely woman working the front desk. We immediately noticed an impressive variety of LGBT+-themed books as well as self-help/mental health ones, which we loved. Of course, they also had best sellers, cookbooks, and everything else. The inside was just out of a magazine. We bought one book and can't wait to return for more during our next Ogunquit trip. We love an indie bookstore!

This is a great example of a local bookstore and definitely a spot worth supporting. They opened up…read moreback in June of this year (2025). They are located in Kennebunk and if you find yourself in the area looking for your next read stop in. They have it organized into genres neatly so you will find your preference of books right away. In the middle of the first area you walk into you'll find tables with popular or books the staff want on display. You can then go to the back of the building and you'll find the books for the kids along with a fireplace set up and a couple of chairs. It's a very nice set up for those bringing their kids. Also off the main room you will find another room with additional genres including poetry, world history, essays and more. Then lastly around the check out you will find plenty of merch with their logo which is an octopus holding a book, which is a really great logo in my opinion. Also to mention outside they did have one table if you need to start your book right after you buy it! Price wise I felt as though it was about the same as other local bookstores. Just due to distance and the fact I have closer local bookstores to me I won't be someone who comes here frequent but enjoyed browsing and checking it out. No complaints and a bookstore worthy of your time!

I was blown away with how much the space had changed and become a beautiful place to browse…read more The kids section in the back of the store is magical! Most impressive for me was the amount of books and variety. My husband likes sci-fi vampire books and he found one he was really excited about. My teenage daughter likes any book that has been featured on TikTok and they had those too! Along with greeting cards, gift bags and books it's a one stop shop. I'm a bit spacey and forgot my wallet so I was really glad that they took Apple Pay and I could just tap my phone. Such a cool store to have in Kennebunk and a must stop if you are in the area.

Awesome store in the heart of Kennebunkport! I love stopping in here when visiting town and they…read morehave some sharp new Kennebunkport clothing as well!

Charming bookstore with a unique history. Buy the book, it is worth the read. Be sure to ask the…read moreowner about his dad!

My son's favorite toy store. Centrally located downtown. Prices are a bit more than target or…read moreAmazon but that's how it goes in a vacation town. Clean and fun toys. Generally local teens are working there which is nice to see, as well!

Lovely store and amazing staff and such an amazing selection of toys in a beautiful townread more

I love the amazing selection here they have so much jewelry, and really overall just a great store!…read moreThis is the first place I think of when going to buy gifts! The employees are always so friendly! I highly recommend!

Such a fun selection of gifts and trinkets. I always plan a stop here when I'm in KPT.read more

They have a nice selection of books that are in great condition. The sign out front said paperbacks…read morecost fifty cents, but they charged a dollar. The clerk was working on a puzzle at the counter and chatting with another worker. She took a while to ring us up, acting like we were inconveniencing her.

This store is pretty much wall to wall books, most of which are in great condition. The staff is…read morealways helpful and friendly and I can easily spend an hour or more browsing. My only complaint is that the more recently released books (as in, the last five years or so) are a bit pricey for being used- for example, one paperback I picked up today that was released in 2015 was marked $4.00. Older books, however, are very fairly priced. Most are $1.00 for hardbacks and 50 cents for paperbacks. I try to make a point of getting to this place a few times a year, and will definitely be back!

Nice shop, little tricky to find. It's on the second floor of the building, above the Subway…read moreRestaurant. Nice assortment of collectibles, cards, records, and some rare comics. Very friendly staff.