Powell's City of Books

Downtown Portland

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1005 W Burnside
Portland, OR 97209
800-291-9676

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Powell's City of Books Description

Powell's is not only the best-known independent bookstore in the Pacific Northwest, it's also an entire city block that you'll need a map to explore. It's a feast of books -- everything and anything you've been wanting to read you'll find in this wonderfully labyrinthine place, which sells both new and used books and has lots of books by local writers. The children's section is enormous and inviting: a great place to spend a rainy afternoon with your kids. Although people mostly come here for the books, you can also treat your kids to hot chocolate in the store's caf.

Kid Tips

Toddlers & Pre-K: Like most of Portland, the people in Powell's are pretty kid-friendly and won't mind if your little one decides to rearrange the lower shelves.

School-Age Kids: With racks and racks of wall-to-ceiling young reader books, this is a great place for school-aged kids. If your child's working on a school report, look for books on her subject as well.

Pre-Teens & Teens: There's a book in here to interest every teenager, guaranteed.

Planning Notes

A quick stop or an entire afternoon. A trip to Portland without visiting Powell's is considered blasphemy by the fans, but if you do go how long you spend there is your call. If the weather's rainy you might just be there all afternoon.

Try to catch an event. Powell's hosts hundreds of author events every year, including readings by children's authors and parenting experts. Check their schedule at: www.powells.com/cgi-bin/calendar

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