You may be an avid reader, and you may not. If you do enjoy getting lost in a good book, you may prefer doing so with a digital copy within your grasp. No matter your preferences, a visit to Powell’s City of Books is something you should consider the next time that you visit Portland, Oregon. Even if you don’t purchase a printed book because you prefer a digital copy, it’s the experience of being here that you’ll likely cherish. This is an independent book store that fills 3 full floors, is larger than some public libraries, and offers more than 1 million print selections. With that much square footage of books to consider, the directional signage they provide is quite helpful (and reminds us a little of what is found within a metropolitan subway system). All manner of reading material is available here, including entire collections such as the 36 volume set of “The Works of Charles Dickens.” Not only is this a great place to shop for books, it also creates an environment that makes you want to read another good book as soon as possible. If you do choose to visit, make sure to do at least two things: First, visit the Rare Book Room on the top floor. You’ll need a pass to enter it, but they are readily available at the Information Booth just outside it. The offerings in this room are surprising and include such works as the 1887 publication of “Home Gymnastics, The Art of Swimming.” Second, trace the path of the manual typewriters displayed through numerous floors and rooms within the store. Count how many you find and be sure to let us know how many that you spotted. And that’s…Henry’s Take. #portlandbookstores

Heard about this place through a friend who is native to PNW. So when I visited Portland a few weeks ago, I had to make a stop here. It was such an amazing but overwhelming experience for me. They have EVERYTHING when it comes to books. It's a huge store that is very well organized. All the books are categorized properly. They carry both new and used books (wow!). There are little notes everywhere saying which books are the staff's favorite, the customer's favorite, new release, etc. I loved that! This is a good way to explore what books to pick for your next reading session. Apart from books, they carry knick-knacks and a lot of cute, useful, and random stuff. I thought an hour was enough to explore this store, but I was so wrong! If you want to explore the entire store, it will take at least 3 hours. The staff here is very nice and friendly as well. I cannot recommend visiting this store enough, especially for my fellow book lovers. You will be transported to paradise. Also, I wish I took more pictures but I was so much in awe that I totally lost track of taking pictures for my review.

Powell's City of Books in Portland, OR, is aptly named as it covers one whole city block in the Pearl District. I mean, it has Murkowski info booths inside where you can pickup up a folding map of the store! It is the largest used and new bookstore in the world and houses approximately one million books. My young kids were whining when i first said that we were going to a store for a while. Three hours later, we were dragging them out. They loved sitting in the children's section looking through all of the series books that they are getting into. It was neat spending time in the Rare Book Room. On sight, the most valuable item is a journal from Lewis & Clark. Grab a coffee and sit to read in their Guilder Cafe. After spending a few hours browsing in awe, head across the street to lunch at the Screen Door.

I am in LOVE with this bookstore! By far the biggest bookstore I've ever been in. So many different sections to explore, so many different categories, lots of fun games and novelties too. I love that there's both used and new books, I got a great deal on a hardcover book that was discounted bc it was marked used (had a slice line on the cover) but in excellent condition besides that! Some of the books really are affordable which I truly appreciate, the used books are still in great condition. Love the variety here, tons of crafting books if you're interested in that. They even have a "rare books" room that I didn't have time to check out but I hear it has first edition type stuff. Had such a good time here and employees were all nice. It's worth the hype, stop by!

Powell's is a fantastic iconic bookstore with a pretty well organized stock of new and used books. The layout of the store is easily walkable. Prices are mostly right. When it comes to foreign languages, This bookstore has a decent collection of books (the new ones in Spanish are mostly translations, the used section has more variety) to browse. Restrooms are clean, providing the issue of the noticeable community of homeless/open drug users that surround the building area. Plenty of staff to make you feel secure and helped when you try to find a particular section. Parking is not available so you need to look around for a garage (a tip: use spot hero for affordable rates). Checkout is fast, even when there are waiting lines! HIghly recommended.

Powell's City of Books in Portland is a book lover's paradise. If you're in search of a book, chances are you'll discover it here. Powell's boasts the distinction of being one of the world's largest bookstores, spanning across four enchanting floors. Their extensive collection covers nearly every conceivable topic, ensuring there's something for every reader. Getting lost in this literary wonderland is all too easy, so it's wise to be generous with your meter time since your visit might extend beyond your initial plans. And in the back, you'll find a delightful little coffee shop, perfect for sipping on your favorite brew and enjoying some tasty snacks while you immerse yourself in the world of books. ☕

The bookstore is huge. If you are a book nerd, you’ll love this place. My neighbor told me about it, saying we should allow five or six hours. Honestly, I was on vacation and travel light with only a carry-on suitcase, so I only browsed for a bit and found this used “what if Custer didn’t die at Little Big Horn and instead was court martialed” novel that I’m finding very interesting. I also bought a cloth bag to help with some other souvenirs from this trip. We did enjoy a beverage in the cafe. If you have time and enjoy browsing books, this is a great place. It’s got a big following and is marketed as a tourist destination, complete with t-shirts, etc. But one hour was plenty for us.

As a casual reader, I'm glad I checked this place out! I don't read a whole lot but I ended up buying a book before I left. The place is huge and the books are categorized by rooms and sections. They have puzzles, board games, comic books, and mangas available for sale as well. The staff is friendly and helpful! I also like how they have "staff picks" which are books that are highly recommended by the staff. I think it helps a casual reader like me as far as what books to read and not get lost too much in the thousands of books at Powell's! This place is a must-visit!

06/10/23: what could I say about this city of books? It magically turns non-book readers to be ones. It could make your trip to Portland more interesting and amazing. I love Powell and all of its rooms. When I came in, I know I could spend the whole day reading. I know I will become better when I read more. Additionally, I read along with tons of people who are hungry for reading. Powell makes my day and my reading journey better and better. I enjoyed everything here. It is worth my Portland trip and I will come back in the future

Always a pleasure to visit. On a side note, if you open carry at all, they will ask you to leave it in your vehicle. I didn't see any signs, but one of the members of the management team was very polite and discreet when he informed me of their policy. He even held onto the books I had already picked out before I was approached, so that I could come back afterwards and claim them. Very helpful staff as always, and overall just a pleasure of a place to spend a rainy day.

This place is book nerd heaven. It's displays are carefully curated and there's a wealth of books being promoted for a diverse range of readers and interests. There's a cafe called Guilder which is a little place to have a coffee and read at a table or soft bench chair. There's 3 or 4 floors and a rare books reading room too. All of the staff I encountered were pleasant and the customers in the store were well behaved . Check out this iconic book store.

Take your time, stroll all the aisles and smell the flowers er, books! This is a bookstore that is not meant to be rushed, so enjoy it! Multiple floors, and a well thought out floor plan make it easy to find your favorite genre, and there are plenty of staff to help you if needed. The rare book section on the top floor was a nice surprise! I’ve only seen such rooms on TV, so getting to peruse unique books was a cool experience.

Come here anytime your in Portland for aisles and floors on floors of books! The best part is they have a rare book collection dating as far back as mid 1700’s! Got myself a few books over the years: Rudyard Kipling, Charles dickens and Ernest Hemingway. Def will always keep coming back The day I went on they even had the chamber music northwest students playing classical music and wow just amazing!

All the books. All of them. All in one very organized, four story building covering a city block, with a knowledgeable and helpful staff. There's a coffee shop too. Used and new books. As a mecca for book lovers, it's also quite a tourist attraction, and souvenirs are on offer. Portland's homeless are present, along with buskers and street performers, all doing their best to "Keep Portland Wierd."

This is a very nice bookstore. It is extremely large. It is very busy and popular. You could easily spend a few hours walking through and exploring. There are bathrooms in the purple room. You'll need to get the code from staff who work there. The pearl room upstairs holds the rarest books and you'll want to wander through there quickly. You need to get a little pass badge to walk in it.

If you love books or a good coffee you have to visit Powell's Books, it's truly a classic spot to go to when you visit Portland. In fact, it might be the best location to visit in Portland! They have a great selection of new and used books. Also, they will buy your used books. It's a fun multi-level store that is well signed. They also have a nice coffee shop inside. Great place!

If you love books and want to support an independent bookstore, Powell's is for you. The rooms and rooms of books, the great staff selections, the fabulous staff, what's not to love? Add to that the fact they are inclusive and sell a mix of new and used books, as well as likely having that obscure book, or new release you want...a MUST visit when in Portland!

It’s not overrated. I promise. I could have spent 4 hours wandering around just marveling at everything. They have so many cool book recommendations to get you excited about new titles, and lots of art and color. I only got a used book because I have far too many unread books to justify anything else, but I can’t wait to come back when I’m in Portland again!

This is a very busy location on the weekends so if you want a quite book store to read avoid this location durning the busy days. This books store is one of the largest in Portland and I could spend several hours here. Amazing selection of books. There is lots of cute merchandise such as tote bags,bookmarks and candles.

This place is amazing!! The staff are helpful and it has basically everything you could ever want. I could spend my annual salary in a week. The store has a crazy layout, I felt like I was in an Escher painting, but there are store maps and signs everywhere. I especially loved the rare book room, pictured here.

You probably don't need anyone else to tell you about the glory of Powell's... It was so nice to spend time in a bustling, thriving book store. Nothing beats the personal touch of a lovingly curated bookshop. It's something online shopping and ebooks will ever replicate. Thanks for being here, Powell's ❤️

One of the most unique and biggest book stores I’ve been in! Great coffee at the coffee shop and a massive selection of new and used books along with trinkets and gifts spread throughout the stores and multiple floors. This place is definitely worth visiting if you’re in the area. 5 stars all around!

As an avid reader and writer, this has always been a must stop for me. Finally made it! The selection was huge, their organization strategy made everything easy to find, and we enjoyed each second. The “Rare Books” room upstairs was a special treat. Wish we could have come and stayed all day!

What can I say that hasn’t been said- this is a pinnacle in book nerd experience. Not just the sheer number and assortment of books and genres, but so much cute book-adjacent cuteness like toe bags, stickers, and socks. We loved it and it made our first visit to Portland so much better!

Who can walk into this gigantic bookstore and be disappointed!? They have EVERYTHING and a book for everyone. I love that they have a book buying program! Wonderful recommendations and computer lookup stations throughout. I will never be bored on a trip to Powell’s City of Books!

It's such a cute bookstore. There's so much to see. There's something for everyone. Young and old, reader or non reader. It spans a whole block and multi leveled. I could spend a whole day here and I don't even like reading! It's just so much fun to see what's there.

Awesome book store. If you want a place with a TON of books this is the place to go. They even have a rare book room at the top floor which sounds really neat. It can be hard to really find something with a lot of options but they have the aisles really well labeled.

Amazing bookstore. Had high expectations and it met and then surpassed some. Excellent curating of books covering every topic imaginable. Loved the staff picks and local community feel. Picked something up and gave me inspiration for some other books to buy

This is a gigantic bookstore with many level of stories and even have elevator to go to different floors. Many titles of books to choose from, if you love to read this is a must visit! We were amazed and wonder the whole bookstore like a kid again.

Came up from Florida on a business trip and had to stop in to see what was all the hype. Well it lived up to it! This place was enormous and at some point got lost from the entrance I came in through . I can't imagine them not having the

It's easy to get lost here so be aware of that. This bookstore is huge and has like 4 levels so just be ready to walk around if you don't know where you're going. They have a coffee shop on the 2nd floor but you can't exit the store through

Powells book is a great new and used book store with multiple locations and online. I have ordered books and had them delivered along with walking in the store. So many books are well organized with lots of workers to quickly help you find

I was told by a friend to visit this bookstore while I was in Portland and I was very impressed. Incredible large bookstore, plenty of options. I had to stop myself from buying too many books. I'll go back here the next time I'm in Portland

You can not visit Portland without stopping by Powells. They have, literally, everything (and anything they might not happen to have they can find). The place is so big it's easy to get lost in, don't worry though because if you've always

This is a massive bookstore that is a tad overwhelming. Definitely a touristy spot, so a lot of people wandering and just looking. Lots of neat souvenir type items. Most of the staff I encountered was friendly and helpful, a few you could

If you love to read or just love coffee then this is the place for you. Powells book store is amazing. A very large selection of books of all kinds and reading levels. But be careful in the pearl room. Very expensive books. But a must see.

First time visiting this massive bookstore! We were in there for 90 minutes but it felt like only 10 minutes had gone by! There are so many books to explore, and benches so you can sit and read if you wanted to. Three stories, with short

An incredible place for those who love books. I would be a regular if I lived in the area. It has multiple levels and each level has multiple rooms. I really just scratched the surface. I will definitely go back when I get the chance.

The amount of books were out of this world! So many floors and it's easy to get lost in the booktopia they've created. Self info desks were helpful, so were the staff. I've posted some of my favorite books. The prices were reasonable.

Prepare to spend hours here! Must be the largest book store ever! It's really well organized with computers around to look up titles and staff that is very helpful in searching for titles. They even had a Manga section for our kids!

Definitely one of my favourite bookstores in US. They have so many different levels filled with books of all genres. They also have a “rare book room”, it’s accessible only for certain time during the week. Be sure to check it out.

What a huge and amazing book store. Staff are helpful and friendly, there are more books then you can browse in a day, and the atmosphere is amazing. Keep in mind with the size of the store over multiple levels bathrooms can be a

Best bookshop I've ever visited. The selection is outstanding, with a great deal of books of any kind as well as local gift and souvenirs and they also have a lot of used books if you are looking for more low impact shopping.

I always enjoy nosing around looking for anything that perks my interest. Especially older Hardy Boy and X Bar X Boys books. And, of course, any Westerns I haven't read. They have a good selection of gardening books as well.

This is a fun store to meander. Such cool fun items to browse and shop, make great unique gifts. They have quite the selection of books! I found some glow in the dark socks, paint with sticker books, and more! …

Favorite bookstore ever! I got over a dozen books for about $100, and then paid a nominal fee to have them shipped home to me instead of having to bring them on the plane. Don’t miss out on the rate book room either!

This bookstore was way bigger than I thought it would be. So many different rooms and handwritten employee recommendations for several of the books. They also had really cute postcards and souvenirs for travelers.

I was very impressed with their selection! The quantity of Easton Press Books that they had was impressive! I enjoyed that they had multiple publications to choose from. The staff was very helpful and a delight.

What a wonderful book store! The store is well-formatted, clean, and full of books. I really appreciated how many staff suggestions there were, and how I could find every single book I've been wanting to buy!

Amazing destination with seemingly a book for everyone. The place is so big they offer brochure maps like a museum. Rare books section is museum-like as well - I hope to find something from there sometime!

Huge store with tremendous amount of books. Only remark would be that there is a lack it seats to read like Barnes and nobles has. It’s understandable though given the fact that it’s in the downtown area

Heaven for bookworms. It is neat and quiet as well as well labeled. You will find very rare books also. Make sure you come with adequate time to explore powell’s because here time flies like an arrow.

Loved this place as we went 4 days of our 6 in Portland when everything else was closed since they close 9pm. They have everything here, new and used and a lot of other interest gift/house items.

It's Powell's -- an institution in Portland and famous throughout the country. Was sorry they were out of the David Foster Wallace essay collection I was looking for, but otherwise a great visit.

Is there a better and bigger book shop in the world? This place is HUGE I mean if you are a book lover you could spend all day in here. So many floors, areas and aisles, a whole block to itself.

WOW! an absolute must for any book-lover visiting portland! the variety and sheer quantity of books is unmatched and the store environment is very welcoming. great gifts/souvenirs as well!

So much to explore here! It has all these different sections on multiple floors. Worth the visit, but if you truly plan on buying, plan way more time than you think you need.

It's fun just coming here. A bookstore that covers an entire block. I bought my favorite book. This is an iconic store in Portland. Please come and visit us at least once.

Loved it! So much to look at. I spent over 3 hours here and could have spent all day. It's a little pricey for a used book store, but other than that it was so amazing!

A book store that encompasses the whole block? Multiple floors? Kindly staff? Oh yeah! All these things conspire together to leave you with an armful of happiness and

I get it. It's crowded, it's touristy, it is mildly overpriced in places. However, there are books here I never thought I'd see in real life, much less on a shelf.

Fantastic place to go browse, have a coffee and find your next read. Plenty of little gifts and souvineers. If you've never been I highly recommend you visit!

Great place, getting the map helps. Found a couple of gems I was looking for at a great price. I could have spent more time there. I guess I gottacome back

This is the epitome of paradise for book lovers. What's truly remarkable is that it has the power to convert even the non-readers into avid bookworms.

Everyone must visit Powells! Get yourself a coffee and have the greatest time pacing the aisles reading staff recommendations. They’re always spot on.

For anyone who likes to read, go visit this store! It's huge, cute and just fun to browse. The rare book room is very interesting.

Wow all the books you can find from different level you can get lost there and stay there all day just reading .Amazing place

Best independent book store on the west coast. It’s absolutely worth coming here for hard to find or just low cost books.

Amazing selection and the most helpful staff. Might be the largest but also the best bookstore!

1 million books at one place is awesome. Can spend an entire day here.