This hidden gem, nestled on the outskirts of West Chester, is an antique book lovers' paradise. If it hadn't been so hot the day that I visited, I could've spent hours getting lost in this place. There are five floors (with maps scattered about for those less inclined to get lost!), and an endless array of books for any and every subject. This place has such a cool vibe given that it was originally built in the early 1800s. The only reason I gave it four stars instead of five is that the books are a bit pricey. But this is a perfect place to go when you have a whole day to kill and want to spend your time among hundreds of thousands of books. read more

Baldwin Book Barn - Bookstores Near Me - West Chester, Pennsylvania

It was with an ex of mine that I first discovered 'the barn', as i'm now deciding to coin it. At first, I thought what a lackluster idea for a date. A bookstore. But this be one those defining moments where you get so wrapped up in a relationship you lose yourself in them; because I love books and bookstores alike. While I'm grateful for the love, kindness, and closeness I got out of that relationship, i'm even more grateful for the introduction to what has become my favorite reading spot. If you are looking for a not quite haunted bookstore in West Chester with three floors of mystery, hidden gems and cats, and arched passageway's that lead you to another story, then this cosy *not so* cabin-like book house residing along the winding back roads is perfect for your reading, picture taking, and seance having needs read more

I went here one day where I was taking a nice little mental health day and not going to school and honestly it was amazing and I found so many interesting books and I can't wait for my next opportunity to go read more

Huge headline in the local paper that Baldwins would be sold, but its fate remains unknown. If I hear about a liquidation sale, I'll post it here. Please oh please let this place continue! read more

After only one visit, Baldwin's Book Barn quickly moved to the top of my favorite places list. This is a MUST-VISIT for book lovers of all kinds. The entire place has the wonderful, unmatched rich smell of antique books, combined with the smell of the small wood stove that heats the building during cooler weather. You really can experience the place in the first floor, but for the more adventurous of us, the place seems the have rooms within rooms within rooms, all filled to the brim with books from every era, genre, and for all readers everywhere. As far as pricing, you can easily spend hundreds before you realize it, but the prices overall are reasonable. Antique, rare books will obviously be priced higher, and for due reasons. However, you can definitely find treasures for very reasonable prices. In my experience, the owners of the shop were extremely pleasant and helpful, but not overly in-the-way. The entire experience was absolutely lovely, and if you're a believer in book-therapy, make a day trip to Baldwin's Book Barn, purchase a few good reads, and head to a local coffee shop for a day well-spent! read more

I don't even remember how I found this place. I know it was quite a bit out of my way while I was in Philadelphia for a speaking engagement. I think I stopped at a visitor center in Kennett Square and grabbed a handful of brochures, saw this one that said something about used books, and thought, "Why not?" I was not expecting what I found. I quite literally spent over two hours here, trudging through every stack, every floor, and thumbing through a score of potential purchases. Books, books, books everywhere, crammed wherever there was space. Modern books, used books, rare books, all living harmoniously side-by-side. The atmosphere was quaint and unpretentious - and the place was heated by a wood-burning stove that lost its potency with every set of stairs I climbed. It had a feeling that this was just some old book collector's private (albeit enormous) stash of books and you were invited to take a look. In the end, I made a great buy of a very inexpensive book published in 1842. It's now one of my more prized possessions, and I keep the receipt and brochure tucked inside the front cover so I'll remember this place. read more

Such a cute, unique space!! There are more books here than one can read in many lifetimes. Every style and genre imaginable. The atmosphere is so kitschy and unique. The people who run it are absolutely lovely! If you're a book work, you could get lost in time here. Check it out for yourself! read more

Baldwin Book Barn - Bookstores Near Me - West Chester, Pennsylvania

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I want to live here. An amazing collection of both vintage and older used books fill multiple floors of this amazing barn. There is a big collection of military and political books as well as the usual fiction, art, photography, medical, travel, local interest, and cookbooks among the shelves. You can find pretty much everything. I seriously covet the antique children's books on the first floor by the front door, and if I had the money that copy of Palmer Cox's Brownie Book would have come home with me. Rumor has it that there is a large cat, but I didn't see him when I visited. Prices range from inexpensive to mega-bucks. I scored a copy of The Private Papers of James Boswell for 8 bucks. read more

One of my favorite places in SE Pennsylvania, and well worth the side trip if you are traveling between Philly and points south on 476. As advertised, 5 stories of books, and done in the old school used bookstore, it is labyrinthine, it is a barn so it is either too cold or too hot, but it is a great great storehouse of books. I have never been here once that I haven't found something awesome. One has to take their time, and know a bit what you are after, though. I visited recently, and was just glad it was near the same, but didn't have the time to really go through the stacks. BBB does a ton of volume, so if you are careful and know what you are doing, you can catch pricing mistakes. I have found some nice modern firsts, and poetry particularly, in firsts, with dj priced quite nicely (for me). My first edition Old Man and the Sea with dj, came from Baldwin, and I did point that out to the person in charge at the time, it was priced at $25. They agreed it was their pricing, so I could have it. This was years ago though. I do try to be nice and ask about pricing discrepancies when I find a find, but the attitude always is a good bookselling attitude, we had the chance to price it first, if we messed up, well its on us. Good place to hunt if you are a book collector, great place even. Even if you don't find a diamond lying about, I almost always find something interesting. Again, this is a place to spend an afternoon picking through. There are also some great restaurants near by. Great place to drive to on a Saturday afternoon, book for a bunch of hours, and go out for dinner and some music in Malvern. For all you NY types, Baldwin's makes the Strand look like amateur hour. Much more floorspace, and just as crowded = more books, and the Strand is so picked over, where at BBB you can find a great first edition everyone has ignored. Tattered Cover and Powell's are the only places that come close. read more

This place is awesome, they have SO MANY books. The prices are decent but even if you don't purchase anything it's fun to just walk around. Word to the wise- if you're going in a winter month, dress warmly, it's an old barn and not heated well throughout (at least last time I was there). read more

Love this place!!! We went in right before they closed but can't wait to go back. They have everything and it just has a cool old library. Highly recommend this place to anyone. read more

My only complaint is that I did not have a whole day to spend here. If you are a book lover you MUST visit. This is a unique bookstore in a barn with five floors filled with nooks and crannies teeming with books floor to ceiling on every subject from antique to newer releases. You have the feeling you could stumble across a treasure at any moment. You are left free to wander and browse to your hearts content and, believe me, you should plan on a long visit. read more

Baldwin Book Barn - Bookstores Near Me - West Chester, Pennsylvania

A bit pricey for me, but a beautiful historic place with a nice drive on the way there. Found an old edition of Anne of Green Gables here.

Love books? Go here. It's a one in a million. The atmosphere is amazing. It's one of our favorite date spots too. read more

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I haven't been here in a few years, but it was my first introduction to the concept of a "book barn" and it's the yardstick that I measure every other "book barn" I've been to since by (and the rest always come up short). Located in the rolling, bucolic countryside of West Chester, it is, as others have mentioned, an old (and often chilly; bring a sweater or coat if you visit in winter) barn with 5 floors (I think) that you can lose yourself in for a day (or several). I used to find it pleasurable just navigating the various floors and rooms. Crammed with books of every description, and the pace is leisurely; no one gives you a hard time (or at least they didn't when I was a regular patron) about lounging about and browsing. The only down side is that the books aren't cheap; you pay for what you get, sometimes dearly. But if you love books, and live anywhere in the Mid-Atlantic region (or are visiting), I don't see how a book lover could possibly bypass this place. read more

Incredible place! I am certainly a book nerd, so was keen to check out this place after reading some yelp reviews. It definitely lives up to the hype! There are 5 floors, thousands of books (I believe the owner told me he has been collecting since 1946!). All the books are well organized. There is a private parking lot and plenty of seating area on each floor if you want to take your time browsing through a book. As other reviewers mentioned there are quite a few cute cats. I purchased three unique books from the early 1900s. Can't wait to read them. read more

This place is awesome. I've been coming here since I was a kid. I was here most recently in December and came away with an armful of books on psychology and sociology- some older, some published quite recently- that I couldn't wait to read, all for about $50. The setting itself is really cool- a giant, multi-floored barn just filled to the brim with old books. The floor creaks when you walk around, and there are cats running around (and farting, my dad and fiancé swear). Great place that I definitely make a point to visit when I'm in the area- you can just get lost for hours. read more

A really neat place, filled to the gills with books. Carve out a rainy afternoon to spend looking through the place. In nice weather, bring a picnic to have after lazying amongst the books. Could be a great little date spot, too! read more

A very unique bookstore. Expect to find tons of books that you've probably never heard of here. One of my friends from Germany ended up buying a lot of old yearbooks because she found them fascinating. Definitely check this place out if you are in the area. read more

Go here and get lost for an afternoon. So many books it will make your head spin. Great atmosphere and friendly staff.

What a most special place! Each level of the barn reveals a new cat. You can spend a whole afternoon wandering through the dizzying maze of floor to ceiling books, browsing through the seemingly endless sections and getting to know all the cats. And books everywhere, filling every nook. Most are rare volumes that I had never seen before. I bought a pretty little illustrated book on herb cookery. If you're going to the Brandywine Valley, this is a must-visit kind of place! read more

This store is a personal favorite of mine. It is very close to my house, and I want to help them get more business. The store has a wonderfully cosy atmosphere, and incredibly friendly staff. The owner Tom Baldwin, is a fantastic member of the community, and does a lot of great things. There are five floors, and 300,000 books there. There are also friendly cats, and a couple of dogs. The service, and satisfaction was perfect. If you are in town, this is a place you should defiantly come and visit. read more

Visited for the first time yesterday. The variety is endless. The history of the books and the building are limitless. You could truly spend hours, if not days, looking at the books and reliving the past. Having grown up on a farm, I was as interested in the building as I was the books. Upon leaving, the gentleman who checked us out was an absolute joy. Truly worth the hour and a half drive. Will definitely visit again. read more

I love going to the book barn. Every time I go there is always a cat to greet me in the parking lot when I arrive. The building itself is old and it's beautiful. It has a personality all of its own. When you enter, the staff is very friendly and they welcome you like they were welcoming you into their own home. The store is very well organized, especially for being all used books. It could take days to go through all five floors of the building. I would highly recommend a visit for anyone who enjoys books. read more

Absolutely incredible. Great selection of used books in an amazing location. A must-visit for lovers of books and old buildings.

Tons of old books. A great place to explore for the whole family. Can't beat the prices either.

This place is huge (5 stories) and is packed with used books. A very large variety of non-fiction. Seemed like there was more non-fiction than fiction. A fun place to spend a few hours! read more

Fantastic selection, kind owner and multiple friendly nooks in which to settle in. Also houses a barn cat, grouchy but appropriately so. They even allowed our dog in while we browsed. Definitely check out this gem! read more

This is a fantastic bookstore that rivals Powell's in Portland, Oregon. The owner has several cats, including a charming Bombay cat who loves to be petted. The store is literally in a refurbished barn, with 4 full floors of books. It is one of the most organized used bookstores I have ever seen, with a floor map that you can carry with you as you browse. It has half a floor dedicated to U.S. history, including local history about Philadelphia and its suburbs. I love to collect cookbooks, and I found a few gems here. If I lived closer to this place, I would come every weekend. I highly recommend it. read more

It seems that this one of the last really great used book stores left since the Internet. I love being able to handle the books and find the rare finds that really make your day. read more