Park Hill Community Bookstore

What a sensational bookstore! We got a quick orientation from the staff and then descended on the travel section and left with four great used books. They’re in really good condition and the price was only three dollars each. Can’t wait to come back, but we might have to consider membership!

This is such a special place! Be warned you might end up spending hours here looking through all their books! It’s such a cool concept! They sell hardbacks for $3 and paperbacks for $2. The new books at the front are priced individually though.

They take donations and have membership options too! I left with a stack of books, and honestly can’t wait to come back!

Did I mention it’s the oldest 2nd hand bookstore in Denver!

This bookstore had the best books and the nicest people. What a treasure

This place is magical. We stopped by on the way to a coffee shop while visiting Denver from the East Coast. It’s the best stop we made all trip. The woman who runs the shop spent at least 30 minutes with my three kids helping them find the perfect book. The perfect bookstore experience!

This beloved bookstore was previously known as the Park Hill Cooperative Bookstore. It was founded in 1971, the same year as the Tattered Cover. It's the oldest continuously operated nonprofit bookstore in the Denver metro area. But it's not really a co-op, so the name was changed in 2005 and now it is known as a "community bookstore." It's open to the public, but there are distinct advantages for members, who receive used book credits and discounts in return for giving time to organize the shelves, process the inventory, and of course operate the cash register. If it weren't for this model, the store would have shut its doors long ago. Luckily for Park Hill (and for all of us), it remains open.

The store carries about 30,000 books. It has nearly 500 members currently. No paid positions. There are three levels of annual membership. Seniors and students pay $15 per year, individuals $20 and families $25. Bookstore volunteers receive a 20% discount on all purchases. The pricing structure is simple: $1 for paperback romance novels, $2 for all other paperbacks, $4 for hardcovers. In the recent past, they have given out ten free books to any teacher, and they have partnerships with nearby high schools, offering free memberships to students through school libraries.

I found the inventory to be rich and interesting. There were good books everywhere I looked. The store has three floors - a crowded, labyrinthine basement... a crowded but more comfortable first floor, with artistic touches abounding... and a small nook of a second floor. Which is also crowded with books, naturally. The store also sells art, curios, jewelry, cards.

The children's section is particularly strong, although I suppose that could wax and wane with the rotations of the inventory. Classic literature is well-represented, and history books. A year or so ago, the store updated its heating system and added air conditioning and improved lighting. This quaint and curious neighborhood gem is now comfortable, too.

A well-done article about the store is "A Bookstore’s Tale 40 Years in the Making” by William Porter (The Denver Post, May, 2011). Almost ten years old, it would be nice to read an update!

Wonderful bookstore & non-profit! Run by kind volunteers. Fun place to dig through the stacks.

Park Hill books is my favorite shop for used books. It’s open daily and the staff couldn’t be kinder. It’s a treasure hunt for books!

Awesome little bookstore. Really well maintained so that you can actually find things you want. Very reasonable prices. Everything you are looking for in a used bookstore 🙂

This bookstore feels like a hug. Every time is a treasure hunt to find books- which is the best kind of bookstore. And the volunteers who run it? The sweetest!!!

We have only been going to the Park Hill Community Bookstore for the last three years and have been members for as long. We love to spend a quiet few hours browsing the shelves for an author we love or to find a new one we could come to love. With avid readers in the house this place keeps us in books to read at affordable pricing and when we're done we can return them for credits to get something new to read. A great way to recycle books you've read, instead of taking up space or collecting dust, others can find and enjoy reading them!

Love the trade-in system. Bring two books, and get credit for one. This is a small store with a good selection. This is a co-op, and you will be supporting a community-run store by shopping here. It is also definitely worth it to get a membership for the discount if you are a big reader.

We were here to donate books. The store has a nice collection and some interesting titles, but we're downsizing, so we looked but didn't touch.

This little place is fantastic for that old paperback you remember reading as a teenager and just can't find at home. They have tons of your old favorites and many you haven't yet read but will really enjoy. The woman in the srltore was very knowledgeable and very familiar with what they had in the store. Was great fun and I'll definitely go back to visit when I'm in town.

The best bookstore of all time. They have very reasonable pricing, for members in particular!

Best priced book store in Colorado 😉. Great place over the big box stores.

The Park Hill Bookstore has been a focal point for years. Supported by volunteers, it is a resource for many. They'll go out of their way to meet your literary needs-- all with a smile and a kind word!

Excellent prices, friendly staff, read more about their description for more neat information!

I love this bookstore! Make sure to sign up for a membership which allows you to return books for credit that you can use to purchase more books. Book lovers dream!

Great place not many independents left. Always find something to take and read

Ah yes. This little book store. Small but quaint. Always able to find one or two readables. Fun to look thru on a quiet day.