Book Barn

A must-​see and experience if you’re on the CT coast for an afternoon/​day/​week. You will probably end up spending way more time than you thought, as everything is adorable and the collections are excellent. Don’t forget to bring some used books to trade in for store credit!

This is a book lover’s dream come true, multiple locations throughout Niantic, just an enormous selection. Comes with all the good vibes you get from a used book store. You can find just about anything here and it’s really cheap!

A bookworms paradise. The books range from the latest hits to vintage classics. The prices are usually more than fair-​perfect for a book addict on a budget. There are several cats that can be found roaming around the property. Customers are more than welcome to pet them.

I’ve never had a bad time at a Book Barn facility; I find the atmosphere to be very calming. I enjoy the cats very much. On a side-​note, the book selection is very broad and at a great price.

Probably one of my favorite places in CT.
It’s impossible to go here without buying 1 or 10 books.
Everybody working there knows where to direct you to any book — there has yet to be a time when I asked for a book and they didn’t know exactly where it existed.
Also — fun place to bring a date! ;-) Why not, right?

This place is awesome! Funky environment, zillions of inexpensive books, friendly staff, kid friendly scene. All around wonderful.

The main book barn location is the ultimate place to spend time on a deep dive for a book you never heard of. There’s also the a couple other smaller locations if you prefer searching indoors and warm. But where’s the fun in that? The place is worth exploring to orient yourself and definitely read the website on rules for selling books. It should be in your CT bucketlist IMHO.

Without a doubt the best used bookstore in Connecticut. The different huts and buildings separating book genres makes browsing for books quite unique. Also, the cats napping and walking around add to the overall charming experience. Top that off with lantern lit walkways at night, glowing fairy gardens, and you have yourself the perfect used book store.

My first visit to the Book Barn… what a magical, enchanting, quirky place. Great prices, zillions of books, all along with gardens, goats & 2 (correct me if there are more) cats. You won’t find any other place like it!

There is no doubt that this is what heaven looks like to a book lover. Oh my goodness. If you love books, visit Book Barn. You won’t be sorry.

Yay!
This is a bargain hunting reader’s paradise. There are so many books to choose from and the setup is so cute. There are little goats you can visit and feed and they’re so cute.
There are so many interesting books (which range from $ 1 to $ 4ish; though there are a bunch of books behind lock and key that are rare editions that are much more expensive) and I loved rummaging through and browsing.

MAGIC. Yes, magic is stored here. Magic is bought here. Magic is passed on freely here.
Just a magical place. I heard it can get a little cray cray during afternoons/​weekends but we went here on a weekday morning. I just curled up in a chair to partly browse and partly ease drop on fascinating conversations between folks passionate about books. Aside from the beautiful sense of wonder that the owners/​employees have created with the place’s layout– the prices are also outstanding.
I wish I could go here everyday.

As Burgess Meredith would say, «time enough at last.»
The Book Barn and its cousins in Niantic, Conn. is a truly enchanting place. You walk around wondering where your soul went, and wondering if this might just be the place to find it.
This is a human place. This is a divine place. Here, there is a stir of echoes around every corner. Come here.

Books, Books and more books! Great prices, fantastic old building. And… who doesn’t want a cat on their lap while they check out a fabulous find in their $ 1 fiction section?!
I usually make a day of it and go to all of their locations!

AMAZING! Most books are $ 1-​$ 4! The staff is sweet and helpful and will even put your name in the book if you’re looking for something they don’t have, then will give you a call if it comes in.
The animals are great… except a couple cats. *yes, you*.
One of our favorite places to go on any type of day!

Nice to know that in this age of Kindles and Nooks and e-​readers, there is a place to browse through and pick up and hold honest to God books. Lots of books. Thousands of books. So many books that the gigantic inventory has to be spread among four different locations.
Welcome to the Book Barn. This location is known as the Main Book Barn, the nearby Book Barn Midtown, Downtown, and Store 4 are all in close proximity, less than a mile away.
The Main Book Barn is a thing of beauty –gorgeous landscaping and flowers everywhere. All sorts of buildings and stalls with books of every description in hundreds of nooks and crannies wherever you look.
They buy books every day –some days for cash and some days for store credit. You can pick up a paperback for the nearby beach for a buck.
It’s a celebration of literacy, culture, and the joy of reading.
Go see for yourself, and happy hunting.

«Where did all the books go?» you ask.
There at the Book Barn! This is a great place to get lost for hours. You should plan on at least a half hour for a quick peruse of this sprawling compound. I’ve traded-​in books that needed a good home here as well. I always leave with some treasure for my collection, always. Parking may be sketchy if lot is packed. Great place for kids. Staff very helpful. Worth the trip just to behold all the books! Just when you think you’ve seen all of this place, there’s another outbuilding or nook with more books! I’m glad this place is here; a true gem, that I’d be lost without.

There is no cooler book store than this open-​air book market. It’s practically a tourist destination that’s kid and dog friendly. Tons of cheap books in a variety of tents and barns. Love this place it’s the coolest «bookstore» I’ve ever been to!

I cannot say enough good things about the Book Barn.
Once you have a printed pamphlet that shows how the sections are organized (and where to find them), it’s great. The selection (and assortment of housing) for these books is so vast. There are little pieces of humor and amusing decorations all over too.
I am a confessed bibliophile– I adore books. I have a hard time passing bookstores without going in. After 2 hours of looking, even I was a bit overwhelmed by the vast selection and had to leave (and get a drink).
There are sections of $ 1 paperbacks (that aren’t really in order, which makes it feel like a treasure hunt). The prices of other books are clearly marked in the 1^st blank page within the book. The majority of those that I saw were $ 4 and in good condition. As a used book store, they of course buy used books. I did not do this, but there are clear instructions on the website and on-​location that describe the process.
The people that work here are funny characters and happy to help when needed. They are also knowledgable and seem to enjoy their jobs, which I think makes a difference.
If you love books, enjoy supporting small, local businesses, and enjoy saving money (or any combination of the above), you have to stop here.
Oh, and the owners cats wander around (and somewhat own) the place. :)

Once upon a time driving in southern Connecticut, I noticed a large barn advertising used books and I have always wanted to stop for a visit. So when a friend and I had a mini-​vacation to Mystic, after leaving the Seaport we googled local book barns and took off. I still have no idea what’s in that barn off the highway, or even a useful idea of where it is. But it could not possibly be as amazingly awesome as the Book Barn in Niantic.
When you walk in, start with the information phone booth. It has maps, a list of book categories by location (because there are two other separate locations, Downtown and Midtown), and list of the cats. Then walk forward slowly, because the full enormity of what you have to experience should hit you slowly. There are books on right, books ahead, books on a standing display, books on… Okay, CDs immediately on the right but then more books! A small barn for chick lit, a haunted one for mysteries, and oh my God, it goes on and on. I reached points where I didn’t know what direction to turn because I was afraid of missing something. There’s the fountain, little cars for kids to drive around, a fairy garden, a faux cemetery, and of course a goat. Because when I stop book browsing to play a quick game of checkers in a gazebo decorated with white Christmas lights, a goat is the final touch for the perfect ambiance.
The books are reasonably priced, $ 1 for a mass market paperback, $ 4 for pretty much every else, and clearance sections with $ 1 books. The staff is nice and helpful, and again, it’s just an amazing place. The owner must have had so much fun creating it and you can tell with every little detail.