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Capitol Hill Books
Denver's beloved independent bookstore, where stories find new homes since 1981.
4.8(5 reviews)
retail-store
$
Denver's beloved independent bookstore, where stories find new homes since 1981.
Capitol Hill Books is a cherished, woman-owned independent bookstore in Downtown Denver, operating for over 40 years. We specialize in a diverse collection of used books, including fiction, mystery, romance, history, sociology, psychology, LGBTQ+ titles, art, architecture, and horror. Our cozy, well-organized shop features unique touches like the Wall of Ephemera, affordable prices, and a welcoming atmosphere that feels like stepping into a literary museum. We also offer DVDs, postcards, local zines, and collector's items, supporting the community with a passion for books beyond the mainstream.
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A wide selection of affordable used books across genres like fiction, mystery, history, and more, with prices starting as low as $8.
Curated sections for art, architecture, horror, LGBTQ+ topics, and collector's items, offering unique finds for enthusiasts.
A small collection of DVDs and other media available for purchase, complementing our book offerings.
Features like the Wall of Ephemera showcasing interesting notes found in books, plus local chapbooks and zines from Denver artists.
Accept book trades and foster a community-focused environment, encouraging support for small businesses over large retailers.
The most adorable book shop with a big selection of affordable books. Loved it!
The book selection is wonderful, the owner was friendly, and I found a great book for $8. Denver is a haven for book lovers. Please let them know by getting your books at small bookstores instead of Amazon. (San Antonio could learn a lot from Denver)
Amazing bookstore with used books. The setup is nice so this place is like small museum. Good selection of art books and architecture books. The horror story section was also very interesting. They also sell DVD. I will definitely come back on my next visit to Denver.
Capitol Hill Books is a small, independently owned bookstore in Downtown Denver. The shop has a broad range of topics from general fiction, mystery, and romance to sociology, psychology, history, and LGBTQ+. It’s tidy, well-organized, and welcoming. This bookstore is woman-owned. It has been open for 42 years and has had three owners. Holly, the current owner, has been the proprietor of this shop for some 17 years. Metered street parking is available.
Capitol Hill Books may not be the oldest bookstore in Denver, but it's close. Many of its contemporaries are now gone: Together Books, Trilogy, the Bluebird Cafe, the Hue Man Bookstore, Muddy's, Murder by the Book. Step inside Capitol Hill Books, and it almost seems as though you've gone into the past... to a time when some of the older books on the shelves were new, and a time when Denver boasted many fine, quirky, and odd bookstores. I have been coming to this delightful bookstore since the early 1982 or 1983. Capitol Hill Books first opened its doors in 1981, founded by Lois Harvey, who has since moved across town to Westside Books. Lois ran the store for many years, and then passed it on it to her friend Valarie Abney, who eventually sold it to the current owner, Holly Brooks. As might be appropriate for a used book store, Capitol Hill Books retains clues, signs, and symbols pointing to the previous owners. I enjoy noticing these callbacks whenever I visit. Originally one small room (and an occasionally utilized and rather medieval-seeming tiny basement), the shop gradually expanded to the three rooms that greet customers now. It's a good space, and well-used. The collection has spread out accordingly, and the store aisles are easy to navigate. There are humorous and entertaining touches everywhere, such as the bloody hand just noticeable above the horror books. Interestingly, and fittingly, the plan of these three rooms is the opposite of the old corporate bookstores, such as B. Dalton's and Borders and Waldenbooks. Those stores always carried the most popular titles in the back of the store, guiding customers through the sections that they otherwise might skip. At Capitol Hill Books, the popular fiction section is in the first room, right there near the entrance; the second room contains kids' books and metaphysics and other cool, strange books; the third and last room is for history, culture, and social studies. A little staid, if you ask me. I don't spend much time in the third room, but I always check it out just in case. There are books of all kinds at this store, particularly my favorites - science fiction, mystery, classic literature, drama, poetry. There are even a few comics! The children's books are well-cultivated. There is one large and perhaps typically imposing bookcase that is filled with very expensive collector's items. Next to that, there's a shelf featuring inexpensive local chapbooks and zines. The store has always had a great range of strange and wonderful postcards, under all its owners, and the Wall of Ephemera is on its way to becoming a local legend. This is a display of interesting notes and other compelling items found within the pages of books brought in for trade. That's worth visiting just in itself. But you'll always find one or two books to buy, too. Or more! That's how it is with me. Many of the best books in my own library at home have come from Capitol Hill Books.
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