Haunted Bookstores in USA

I know it’s still August, but I’m so ready for autumn. Spooky season is just around the corner and if you’re like me, loving books, travel, and Halloween, you might want to check out some of these places. If you dare…

• The Book Barn, Niantic, Connecticut

This used book store was established in 1988. They are open from 11am-6pm every day except for Thanksgiving and Christmas. The Book Barn has a number of stores, but they particular part we are looking at is “The Haunted.” Some people believe it is, and others don’t.

• Moravian Book Shop, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Moravian Book Shop is the oldest bookstore in America, founded in 1745. Being the oldest, there’s no way it’s not haunted…even if just by the former bookstore’s owners. Currently, the store is owned by Moravian Univeristy and, along with books, sells university apparel. The current hours are Mon – Thurs: 10am – 6pm, Fri – Sat: 10am – 8pm, and Sun: 12pm – 5pm.

• The Book House, St. Louis, Missouri

Located in historic downtown Maplewood, The Book House is open from Monday through Saturday: 11 AM–8 PM and Sunday: 1-6 PM. In addition to new books, they sell used, rare, and out-of-print books! Technically, their haunted location was in a Victorian home built in the 1800s until they were forced to move locations to a new store in 2013. I’m still including this, though, because it’s cool to know their history and that they sell such rare manuscripts.

• Barber’s Bookstore, Fort Worth, Texas

This independent store also sells used and rare books. It’s also known as the most haunted location in Texas. Their hours of operation are Mon-Fri 11-3, Sat 11-4, and Sun 1-4. Though their website doesn’t explicity state when the store was built, one of the owner’s does detail his first experience with the bookstore ghost.

• The Haunted Bookshop, Iowa City, Iowa

It’s literally in the name! The building was built in 1847 but not transformed into a book shop until 1978. Like any good haunted bookshop, the shop employees many cats including Logan, Aeschylus, Sophocles, Ecallie Echo, and Nialle Sylvan. Though currently they are closed due to high COVID cases, they are still taking orders by web and phone.

• Wicked Good Books, Salem, Massachusetts

Of course, how could I not include a shop from Salem? This is a cute independent bookstore that sells in-person and online. They’ve won awards, work with the Salem Literary Festival, and can be found on Twitter at @wickedbooks. Are they really haunted? Who knows, but they are in the right place for it!