Bookstores in and near Palo Alto

For a city of under 70,000 people, Palo Alto is well served by bookstores. It has an antiquarian shop that has been on the same downtown street for decades, a Bay Area chain store at Town & Country, a large campus store at Stanford and one of the region's best-known independents just over the line in Menlo Park. Add the volunteer-run library book sales and a reader can stay busy for a weekend.

This guide covers each one: where it is, what it sells and when to go. Hours change, so we link to official pages where we can. For the rest of the city's shops, see our Palo Alto shopping guide.

Bookstores at a glance

Which one to choose depends on what you want to leave with. For a specific new release or a stack of picture books, Books Inc. is the safe bet and stays open into the evening. For something you did not know you wanted, such as an out-of-print history of the Peninsula or a first edition, Bell's is the place. For a Stanford sweatshirt with a faculty memoir on top, go to campus. If you are flying home, remember that books are heavy. The UPS Store at Town & Country can ship a box for you, which is often cheaper than an overweight bag fee.

Bell's Books

Bell's Books at 536 Emerson Street has served Palo Alto, Stanford and the wider valley since 1935. It is family owned and calls itself the oldest and only bookstore in downtown Palo Alto. Shelves run deep. The store carries new, used and rare books from a stock of roughly 350,000 titles, including signed first editions, illustrated editions and fine bindings. It is a browsing store in the old sense, with no cafe and plenty of shelves to get lost in.

Bell's posts hours of 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and on weekends, with Friday hours running to 8 p.m. A Friday evening visit pairs well with dinner on Emerson or Ramona Street. If you are hunting for a particular title, call ahead. It sits a block from University Avenue, so it fits into any downtown shopping walk.

Books Inc. at Town & Country

Books Inc. has a Palo Alto store at 74 Town & Country Village on El Camino Real. It sells new books for adults, teens and children and hosts author events through the year.

The company traces its history to 1851, when Anton Roman opened a bookshop in the Gold Rush town of Shasta City. It grew into a Bay Area chain and is now part of Barnes & Noble. The Palo Alto store posts hours of 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday, later than most local shops. There is a second nearby branch at 317 Castro Street in Mountain View. Our Town & Country Village guide covers the rest of the center, including Paper Source next door for cards and wrapping.

The Stanford Bookstore

The Stanford Bookstore sits at 519 Lasuen Mall in White Plaza, the open square at the center of student life on campus. It is open to the public. The store sells Stanford sweatshirts, caps and gifts alongside general interest books, titles by Stanford faculty and textbooks, including a large rental program. The store also hosts author events. Follett, a national campus retailer, operates it.

Change is coming. Stanford's Town Center project, which will reshape White Plaza, is set to start construction in 2027. According to the Stanford Daily, the plan calls for a smaller, more curated bookstore built around events, classes and socializing. The merchandise section will move to another busy part of campus. Visit before construction starts if you want to see the store as generations of students have known it.

Parking on campus is paid and limited. The easiest approach is the free Marguerite shuttle from the Palo Alto Transit Center on weekdays, or a 25 minute walk up Palm Drive from downtown. Our visiting Stanford guide covers the details. Check the bookstore's store hours page for hours, since they shift with the academic calendar and holidays.

Kepler's in Menlo Park

Kepler's is on El Camino Real in Menlo Park, about a mile and a half north of downtown Palo Alto. It has been part of Peninsula literary life for more than 70 years. Roy Kepler, a peace activist, opened the original store in 1955. It became a gathering place for writers, students and musicians in the 1960s.

Kepler's is best known for author talks. These are produced by the Kepler's Literary Foundation, a nonprofit that runs conversations with writers, book clubs and a free series featuring local authors. The fall 2026 calendar included talks with novelists, physicians and journalists plus an annual benefit evening with author Abraham Verghese in November. Events with well-known authors often sell tickets in advance.

From Palo Alto, drive up El Camino Real or take Caltrain one stop north to Menlo Park and walk a few blocks. Downtown Menlo Park's Santa Cruz Avenue is close by for lunch.

Used books and the library sales

The cheapest books in town come from Friends of the Palo Alto Library, known as FOPAL. This volunteer group sorts donated books, CDs, DVDs and games and sells them roughly once a month at Cubberley Community Center, 4000 Middlefield Road. Proceeds support the Palo Alto City Library.

• Three rooms. The Main Room has sorted books by subject. The Bargain Room is cheaper still. The Children's Room is a favorite with parents.
• Timing. Sales run on a Saturday and the following Sunday. The next sale is November 14 and 15, 2026. Saturday morning has the best selection. Sunday afternoon is quieter.
• Donations. FOPAL takes drop-off donations at set weekday and Saturday afternoon hours, with a pause in the week before and during each sale.
• Online. It also sells selected books and media through eBay and records through Discogs.

Bell's Books is the other main source for used titles. For the library system itself, with its branches and programs, see our Palo Alto libraries guide.

A book lover's day

1. Start at the Stanford Bookstore in White Plaza and walk to the Main Quad. See the Main Quad.
2. Drive or take the Marguerite to Town & Country Village for lunch and a stop at Books Inc.
3. Spend the late afternoon at Bell's Books on Emerson Street.
4. On a Kepler's event night, finish with an author talk in Menlo Park.

Several hotels downtown put Bell's and the train within a few minutes' walk, so you can compare hotels in downtown Palo Alto for a bookish weekend.

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