If you can think of a topic, theyre almost guaranteed to have a book about it. Wait lines can run long during the pandemic but well worth the wait if youre a bookworm or need a distraction while youre quarantined. Moderately priced... Theyre not cheap but they dont gouge.Ill be in place seem to be avid and voracious readers, so if you need something specific or are looking for a recommendation, ASK!If the employee that you ask doesnt know the topic well then ask who you should talk to. Ive always been able to find someone well versed in whatever subject Im looking for.Great selection, mostly friendly employees, and a Portland institution. Youre bound to find something you like! (Get it? Bound? HA Ha ha... Ahem. Nevermind)

Waited outside for a half hour in the rain, but it was worth it. This is my favorite bookstore in the city Happy to see the enforcement of safety for others in the store, it made my trip there relaxing and not anxious. Only a few rooms were open, hoping to browse more, but I understand their reasoning. Picked out some great selections; I will return for a cute book bag next time!

Yup, its the best. Love the rare collections room on the top floor, the guest speaker series, and of course the ramshackle diversity of options. Lets you feel human in a world that makes you wonder... Thanks folks for keeping literature and community alive. Best when its not crowded with tourists on weekends. Quiet weekday evenings are almost sacred. Very good staff.

Powells is great...I was impressed by their COVID precautions! Any place with books, steals my heart but Powells really takes the cake. Efficient and safe service and a HUGE selection! I cant wait to be there in person again.

Huge and impressive book store, known as the biggest in the the world. It’s an incredible experience for book lovers and non book lovers. You should not go to Portland and don’t visit Powell’s. Just be careful to don’t get lost inside the store (lol).

I go to Powells Every time Im in Portland. With the pandemic I have moved to online purchasing and shipping to my home. I get the same excellent customer service on-line as in person. Powells rocks!

A bibliophiles dream. A quality bookstore with the size of a retail giant and the soul of a local bookstore. Staff are not only friendly but authorities on what books to read. Hidden gems, light perusal, or finding your newest obsession ask and you shall receive! P.S. keep an eye out for hand written notes on the shelves, they are informative and often humourous.

Labor day 2020: the line went literally around the block, the store manager came out to thank us for waiting and explain the covid protocol. It moved fast enough, before I knew it I was crossing paths with the poet on a typewriter. Only the first two rooms are open, literature/fiction, small shelves were placed around with selections from the other rooms. Even at half-mast this place dwarfs many a bookstore. I look forward to it being fully opened. I prefer history and nonfiction.

Powells City of Books was so much fun! Well organized and huge. Im not normally into books but I ended up taking one home and finishing it shortly after! It was alot of fun.

Powells is a dreamland. Endless selection for all genres. Tons of sale books, even lots off best seller lists. I could spend hours and hours just wandering around in here.

A local legend. They offer free parking with purchase so basically free parking because you truly cant walk in and walk out without something in hand. Not only do they sell books, but other rare oddities that even your local Portlandia residents can appreciate.Powells is more than a tourist shop: its a local hub for fun, a plethora of books and other fun trinkets. Arguably one of the best shops in Portland and other Oregon cities and exemplifies the unique culture of our beloved state.Growing up between Oregon and Los Angeles, one thing you notice is how much the local bookstores say about the community. Powells is a cultural hub and a staple in the communities where they reside.

Always a great experience though social distancing changes are in place. They limit # in the store. Can only enter from main entrance. Some rooms are closed due to tight areas. But there are kiosks to look up books and they have runners that will pull books from the closed rooms.

In its current incarnation, the downtown Powells is not really worth the trip if you want to browse the books. Only two sections are open and the coffee shop and restrooms are closed.Social distancing and mask wearing is of course a requirement. You may have a wait due to keeping the number of people to an acceptable amount. I had about a 5 minute wait.It is good if you have an order to pick up, the staff will assist you with a mask and friendly demeanor.Im giving only 3 stars because its not the same Powells access wise.

Even with Covid restrictions, it is stiil a great place to browse books and the staff is always happy to help and easy to find.

Great place to sell your used or unwanted books. Choose between cash or in store credit.Note: Powells Books does not buy romance books

It was fun to walk around. I wish I could have spent all day there and truly experienced how big it is. A short visit was just not enough. I am disappointed that Powell’s didn’t have any restroom service even for a child. Though, most places in Portland are denying restroom access.

Glad that this Portland landmark is open. Everyone working at Powells is always helpful; Ive never had a less than pleasant experience. I particularly enjoy reading their handwritten placards highlighting the staffs picks.

While the current pandemic has certainly put a damper on Powells they have done an excellent job of trying to keep it open to the public and have accommodated their customers very well. Still a wonderful book store to visit and enjoy amid all of the issues currently. Great job, Powells!

Ive never been to another book store quite like this one, I remember getting lost in the maze like, inner city aesthetic, color coordinated rooms for hours. Found very interesting things in their Rare book selection on the top floor. I patiently await my return to this beautiful book shop.

Awesome bookstore. So many selections that it was kind of overwhelming. I could spend an entire day in there. Lots of cool gift ideas tooA good place to get some cute Portland gear as well. The rare books section on the top floor is awesome too, I love seeing what sorta of rare and old autographed books are available.

This was such a fun store. So many books, so little time! Everything one could ever want to read can be found at this place. Dont forget to go into the Rare Book Room! How amazing to see great books from times gone by. Great prices on books also. Has a nice little coffee area with pretty tasty coffee too. Very busy & popular place. A must see if you are in the Pearl District in downtown Portland.

One of my absolute FAVOURITE book stores. Not only do they have an amazing selection, but they are also local and have competitive pricing. Ive bought new, used and collectible books from them and the quality is always top notch. A Portland must visit!

Powells is the best book store in the whole world and everyone who comes to Portland needs to go! It is a Book lovers mecca.

Access only granted to designated areas. Spiritual section in NOT accessible...in such a time as this. Shake my head. Pic of the accessible spiritual section(no joke)

Based on the circumstances, Id say theyre handling themselves pretty well. The lines moves quickly, the shop has a large variety of items to browse.

Powells City of Books was a great place to go to find books. The amount of booksshows how limitless your wants are. Theres plenty of novels and comics, and at least one will catch the eye.

A Portland must. If youre visiting, youll easily get beautifully lost in their selection. And if youre a local, its just a really great place to visit and pick up some new books!

Powell’s is a must visit in Portland! One city block and 5 stores high....great for people watching if it’s cold outside. New and used books at a discount. We visited it 2 or of the 3 days we were there. Great for all ages, if you can’t find it here it doesn’t exist! Loved it!

One of the Best bookstore in the world! They sell new and used books together...and have a separated roem for special books! It isso a great place to spend a day;)

This place is iconic for a reason. It’s the biggest bookstore I’ve ever been in, it feels like a mall for books. And the coffee shop inside is pretty great, although it’s quite the long wait.

Excellent experience ordering online. I ordered 4 books back in May and they came a couple weeks earlier than expected, with a cute little handwritten note on my receipt. A little over a month passed before I noticed an entire chapter was cleanly cut out of one of the brand new books I had ordered. It had been a while and I honestly didnt know if there was anything they could/would do. I emailed them about it and they got back to me within the week and, no questions asked, said they would send me a new copy of the damaged book. I didnt have to pay additional shipping or even send the damaged book back. Just received the new copy less than a week later. I couldnt recommend Powells enough for their excellent customer service!

They are doing a great job during the pandemic! Most rooms are closed so they brought top books from each section for you to browse. They will also bring out any book that you request.

Powell’s curbside book pickup is a fantastic system. So organized and easy. Support your local bookstores during this pandemic! This one is worth it - a Portland institution for decades, continuing to serve us with love during this difficult time. You can get used or new copies of your fav books here, so you’re still getting the range of prices and editions you’re used to.

Well worth the visit. Tons of books given its one of the largest bookstores around.

I will always love this place but sadly the restrictions have made it way less enjoyable. Used to spend hours there just going through a single subject but now you are made to feel like you have to get in and get out, if I have to do that then I rather buy online.

One word, extraordinary! Powells City of Books was by far the BEST book store ive been in. Prepare to spend hours in Powells browsing through endless books, journals, tarot cards, rad bags, and other amazing finds.

I almost never give five stars because that would mean something is perfect... And well its powells....its perfect

If you love books and happen to be in Portland, Powells is a must see! The store takes up a literal city block and contains many rooms to explore, with different subjects, themes, even a coffee shop. The coffee I had was delicious, even though the girl making it was clearly ready to be done for the day. I get it, and Im not mad- the coffee was still delicious. I grabbed an awesome copy of the Hitchhikers Guide series and a Junji Ito comic but I look forward to coming back and exploring for an even longer window of time in the future! Its seriously a massive space, and we got there late in the day so I fully recommend setting aside more than an hour to wander and explore the different shelves. I was impressed by their graphic novel selection, along with their cooking and food related materials, so whatever your quirk you should, hopefully, be able to find it here. They even had an entire wall dedicated to supernatural romance novels! Sexy sasquatch approved. OooooOOoooooOOOOoo~

I tried their curbside pickup, and it was super easy. Even the parking downtown was super easy. Prior to Covid I visited here many times and of course purchased books from them. Inside the store reminds me of Harry Potter and its a magical place to wander around and get lost. Unfortunately thats not possible for now. But yeah the curbside pickup was great!

The biggest book store I’ve been to in the states. The staff is incredibly knowledgeable and helpful—also very kind. The store is massive and I’ve never seen such a selection of journals. The American Literature section was simply amazing. I could’ve stayed here all day. There was a collection of old books...the smell, the sounds...just an amazing place to be. I only made it to floor 3 and I was speeding. I’m definitely coming back but this time planning a whole day here. What an amazing place for us book worms.

Found some great books! This place is perfect to discover new books and find the ones you are looking for. The atmosphere is also very nice. One of the biggest bookstores I have ever seen - a great place to be.

This was our favorite place to find an get books not found any where else.No better service anywhere. Feel like I grew up going to Powells book store even when it was a small size the elderly man had. He had stacks of books & boxes all over to sort through. He was so happy & fun to talk to.

Great historic bookstore! The space was limited due to COVID, but it definitely gave me a peace of mind walking in there! Please survive 2020, Powell’s!

Covid logic. Another business that huddles everyone in a confined space, for our safety. Rather then let people socially distance and spread themselves throughout the gigantic store. I prefer to browse books, not have them curated and pushed on me. If I already know exactly what book I want, I can order it cheaper from Abebooks.com, and be truly safe. Very poignantly, I saw someone buying 1984.

Incredible bookstore. A whole section for Jewish cookbooks! Wish we had a place like this where Im living now.

Very fairly priced. Well customer service. Amazing building. Something for everyone here.

I loved this place in downtown but to get there I had to pass hundreds of bums and campers who were drunk on the street or in the Isla. But the store has a map and enough people to help find anything possible to read. A magazine section with hundreds of various topics. I enjoyed the travel section and history area.The checkout was very easy with all the employees very fast and ready to help.I find out later the Powells were in 4 different locations so you dont have to go downtown. But the antique books are in the big store.

Most of the rooms are shut down due covid, but they still have a good selection out.

One of my favourite places to visit on Portland. I can (and have!) spent hours exploring the rows of shelves on various floors, trying to limit my spending! I particularly love the fact that second hand books are recycled here, which have usually been my biggest splurge, but also love the range of other products, such as board games and other nick-nacks. Highly recommend to anyone in the city. Can’t wait to go back again!

Powells is a bibliophiles wildest dream. I think you could spend a whole day here and still have shelves to explore. they also offer a variety of cute book adjacent gifts and souvenirs that are worth checking out while youre there. Whenever I visit Portland, Powells is the #1 thing on my list of things to do. The only problem I have is sticking to whatever budget I set for myself to spend.

This place is amazing. If you love books, you could spend hours here. It is huge and organized into different rooms. They have new and used books. The pricing on the used books is very good. They also have awesome souvenirs for anyone checking out Portland. The parking is a little hectic, but worth it once you go inside. They have a cute little coffee shop and a welcoming atmosphere.

Absolutely THE BEST book store in the US. When the bookstore needs a map, you know its a good one. Everything about Powells is amazing. New and used books co-mingle in dozens of sections, well organized whether youre hunting for a specific title or just browsing. A Portland MUST visit. Plan for hours, if youre anything like me!

Powells has been one of my absolute favorite places to go for the past twenty years! Their vast selection of books is epic! Its a great place to buy new and used books, escape the rain, grab a cup of coffee, and wander among the many rows of books. Here are a few notable things:1. Knowledgeable and friendly staff2. New AND used books; you can sell your books and get money or Powells credit to use in the store3. Clean and plenty of signs as well as a map to help you navigate the City of Books.

Well, does one of the most famous book shops need an intro or review? You got to come and visit it!

Only two rooms open right now to walk through but access to all. Loved every minute!

Good place for a cheap book and some peace. The people who work here are ok.

I love this bookstore - it’s always very clean and organize and there’s so many books to choose from.

A book lovers world! Floors and floors of an abundance of books. Great place for all ages and best part is that it has a little cafe area to enjoy your new purchase with some caffeine!

It was a huge store! You can find whatever youre looking for! I also loved the book holders! Check them in photos.P. S. If youd like to explore all parts of the store, youll be tired at the end of your trip.

Mecca, but for book lovers. You can spend days here without getting bored. The atmosphere is relaxed and comfortable and you wont wanna leave. If youre in Portland you definitely have to give it a go!

Amazing place to spend an hour or a day (or a week? Lol I want to live here) great assortment of gifts too

So huge! I absolutely loved the maps and everything to help me navigate the store. Employees were everywhere to make sure I wouldn’t get lost, and I’m really glad for that. I work in a bookstore and I wish I could say that I worked here, it was so fun. Not to mention all the free post cards and bookmarks when I made my purchase, it was great! Can’t wait to go back someday!

They said it was a big bookstore and wow were they correct.You like book stores and havent been to Powells even if you dont want to buy a book it is well worth the trip just to see the amount of space, the special sections and all the books they have in one placeSeemingly dozens of rooms three or four floors massive book inventory and lots of people made Powells a fun trip just for the going.The biggest ball of yarn the biggest ketchup bottle in the world are the biggest bookstore its always fun to see unique businesses and items Powells Bookstore fits into this category even if you dont like books

Most rooms are closed to the public right now. However, if theres a book that is in the rooms that are not open, associates will help you get it. And very quickly at that too.

This is a legendary bookstore, and a great place for kids and families. Powell’s is the largest independent bookstore in the nation and is a local favorite.They sell both used and new books, have an incredible inventory, and amazing customers who can help you find any book.Their customer service can’t be understated. From helping customers identify books based on vague information, to giving recommendations for fun reads, they definitely care about your experience.

One of the best parts of Portland is this bookstore. Theres so many different new and used books you could spend a full day lost in the shelves. Fear not, there is also a coffee shop to enjoy while you browse. They often have author events that bring in a good crowd. Get there early to get a seat.

Portland’s best book store. COVID rules prevented me from actually visiting inside. I will return.

This is a cool bookstore. The bookstore is huge. They have a variety of new and used books. The store is set up in different floors and has different types of books on each floor. The store also has a coffee shop on one of the floors. The store is clean and the staff is super friendly. I would for sure recommend checking out this place.

Awesome. Worth an afternoon of exploration for any bookworms out there. Selection is insane, so get ready

Great book store. Multiple levels. Good for all age groups and all genres of reading fans. Tip: try and have a book name in mind to buy when you visit here. It is easy to get lost in the wonder of this beautiful place.You can also find books on sale if you are looking for a quick read or just exploring something new.

I love the little suggestions by staff. Read this if you love these note cards... The note cards for whats new, theres even suggestions for pacific northeast books. the sheer size of the rooms. I could spend an entire day in it. I love the place. Must visit bookstore.

Powells is a MUST VISIT for the book lover! There is a section in the store for EVERY member of the family who has any personal interests and can read!Also, so many great gift ideas literally around every corner!The largest independant bookstore in the US with over 1 million books in stock. There are 8 district rooms inside of the store. This store essentially takes up an entire city block in Portland! People are everywhere!!!There is a coffee shop and a used book trade counter so you can get rid of the old and move forward with the new!They have author events almost every day of the year. Check out the rare book room-wow! They have book sets worth thousands of dollars. So cool to look at even if those rare items are out of your price range.

Wow what a giant book store, someone on the internet mentioned it’s the biggest book store in the Galaxy, yes it is!

Fantastic book shop. I could spend hours here, but if in a hurry you can ask the staff for help finding a book or three and it takes no time at all. Great staff! This is one of my favourite places in Portland.

Unique sand vast selection. Its too bad their other rooms are closed off right now but I still cant compare and other book store to it.

Must see! This bookstore is tremendous - from size to curation. I would recommend to anyone going to Portland for the 1st time. The handwritten notes on individual books in collections, makes the experience feel extremely personalized. There are also souvenirs that are Portland themed for those traveling from outside the area and looking for a good gift.

This book store is incredible! A true book lovers paradise. There are multiple floors and multiple rooms of books. Every genre of book imaginable is available. They even have a rare books section that you have to gain permission to access. If you live in or are visiting the Portland area, definitely stop in and check this book store out.

Really excellent selection and HUGE store but only a portion is open right now due to COVID.

This is the legendary non-apologetic independent bookstore. Its Hyuge!! City of Books is apropos. If your in PDX definitely carve out some time to visit and immerse yourself in the marvelous place. If you allot less than an hour youre doing yourself a tremendous injustice. My visit was on a Saturday afternoon and the place was more packed than an Apple store. There was a queue to checkout. Employees are at-the-ready to help you find that special read. I love this place and the general vibe that permeates my soul when Im here. Read, Rise, Resist.

Imagine a bookstore the size of a city block, thats right - welcome to Powells City of Books. They have the largest collection of books in a store I have ever seen - another place you see such a collection is a library. Amazing staff and fantastic collection. Lots of kiosks to check and find the location of your favorite book or you can ask a staff for help. They have lots of gifts and memorabilia unique to Oregon. It is a must visit if you are in Portland - irrespective of if you like or read books.

Does this place need a review? First, if you love books, reading, what have you, you need to stop in and just enjoy the majesty. It has a nice coffee shop so you can enjoy a cup while walking around the store and marvel at the selection. I will note that this place will be pricey so keep that in mind. Worth a visit but there are more affordable bookstores. That being said, I always buy a book when I visit.

Really lovely store for Book lovers. If youre in Portland, dont miss it!!

The biggest and best book store Ive ever been to. The staff was lovely, and seemed to love working there! Will come back as often as I can for sure!

Breath-taking. A haven for book lovers. So amazing collection of new & used books & merchandise. I hope this magical place will last to eternity.

Iconic Portland Oregon place to visit. You cannot visit the downtown area without passing through Powells bookstore.It looks unassuming from the outside, but its on a hill and boasts so many levels that I cannot even remember how many there were in total.We explored. Took pictures. Went to the coffee shop. Picked out books for neices and nephews. And ironically missed any long lines with our impeccable timing.

Incredible place, feels like you just stepped into a community of book lovers. Excellent customer service, please support local bookstores like this! Its such a treat to have a place with such a huge selection.

Powells is the best big bookstore in the world. Annie Blooms is the best small one. Portland truly is the City of Books.

Its simply too obvious to be my No. 1 bookstore pick. It is, however, the giant piece of heaven any book-lover visiting Portland will want to seeIt is known for its childrens and young adult sections, sci-fi offerings and a wealth of boardgames. No list of Portlands best bookstores would be complete without Powells. Powells nine rooms, 3,500 sections and about a million books easily make it the largest independent bookstore in the world. It is known by bibliophiles for its Rare Book Room, where you can find autographed first editions and other collectibles

You will find more books than you are looking for.

I was so overwhelmed by all the amazing options I couldnt even choose. I am amazed this is only one of multiple stores. There were at least 5 different rooms that are the size of a small bookstore each. I would need days. I found super affordable used versions of books with prices better than Amazon.The rare book room was like a trip to a museum. I was in awe of the unique offerings and the history. A book that was 500 years old!!!Truly something for everyone, all types of books new and used, gifts, supplies, and a coffee shop! I wish I had more time in town to experience the events and courses.

Both an iconic landmark of Portland, but also a solid book store with an immense selection. You could spend a lifetime in Powell’s and still uncover a shelf you haven’t inspected.Also a great place to find a variety of selection in board games, nerdy stuff, and cool Portland memoirs. Don’t forget to grab some coffee, too!

Best bookstore of all time! I love how they have the new and used books mixed together so you can choose the price & condition you want. The childrens section is incredible and the librarians are amazing, they are excellent at listening to a childs likes, reading ability, and matching them to new books. Everyone that works here is super knowledgable about their section, and always has excellent recommendations. The unique and hard to find books are harder to come by than they used to be, but they have a little bit of everything. The cookbook section alone is the size of a standard indie bookstore. Powells is an institution for a reason.

Due to Covid-19 most sections are closed. not as much fun as normal but still nice.

Had no idea if fall in love with a library. Walked in an amateur picture taker who only read headlines and Facebook posts to purchasing two books ( and almost finishing them already!). Definitely worth going to and very much so, weird.

One of my favorite bookstores. Large selection of most genres. Cafe and reading room are neat. Both new and used books are available. Parking available in parking garage next door (you can’t miss it).

Curbside pickup at the 1th and Couch entrance was super easy despite the huge line to get in at the 10th and Burnside entrance. Definitely not the awesome experience it was pre-covid, but will be again whenever life gets back to normal.

If you cant find the book youre looking for here it doesnt exist!! This place is cool but amazing if youre a book lover. City of books is the perfect name for this spot and they really did a great job organizing all the books into different rooms and categories. Its not overwhelming even though there are millions of books here. My favorite room was the pearl room filled with science books and even a rare book section. This is a spot to see if youre visiting Portland!

There is something for everyone at biggest independent bookstore in the country. Huge selection of new and used books with super helpful staff. Its a wonderful place for a solo date to read and have coffee and equally wonderful for a family adventure. Our daughter loves to browse the Rose Room, which is filled with childrens books of all kinds. The variety and selection has helped her discover new types of books and helped her fall in love with reading.They also have a huge selection of small-bath cards, lovely local items making it a great stop for getting thoughtful, original gifts.

“Book store” does really describe Powells, with the vast content and space to explore/read it is more like a book treasure-trove!Our two young kids were reading non-stop!They sell new and used, which is great but also multiple editions of the same book!I would highly recommend checking this place out for the experience!It makes adults feel like they are in a toy store!

Ive always loved coming here when I am in town. I could spend hours in here. I really hope that the current pandemic doesnt force them to close for good. It would be a shame.