Pennsylvania is home to many great independent bookstores, but I don’t think any are as much fun to explore as Baldwin’s Book Barn in Chester County, PA.
That’s because Baldwin’s collection of 300,000 books are housed in a very cozy five-story stone barn built in 1822, which gives this bookstore an incredible setting in which to enjoy their collection.
William and Lilla Baldwin first opened their bookstore in Wilmington, Delaware in 1934. In 1946, they moved their business a short distance north to a stone barn on the outskirts of West Chester, Pennsylvania.
They converted the milking house into their residence and set up shop in the beautiful 19th-century barn next door.
That is where you’ll still find Baldwin’s Book Barn today. And, let me know tell you, wether you love bookstores or just enjoy exploring cool spaces, this is a spot that you definitely don’t want to miss.
Entrance to Baldwin’s is through a one-story attachment to the building that houses not only the register, but also an incredible collection of valuable historic books, maps, prints, and more. Definitely don’t overlook this first section when exploring the store.
You head into to the main portion of the five-story barn through a curved wooden door that reminded me of the entrance to a Hobbit’s house in “Lord of the Rings” (though it’s not fully round).
Through this door, you’ll enter a magical world were you could spend days and days looking through the hundreds of thousands of books sitting on all manner of bookshelves through the barn.
While books are categorized into sections based on themes, there’s still a lot of exploring to do here, and you’ll likely find newer books right next to historic ones, some of which are well over a century old.
It’s worth noting that, unfortunately, Baldwin’s Book Barn is not handicap accessible. And really, beyond the ground level, you’ll need to navigate a series of steep and narrow staircases to get between floors that may prove difficult for those with any kind of mobility limitations.
However, if you are able to make your way through the space, the maze like mixture of rooms and shelves are a wonder to explore as you make your way higher and higher into the stone barn.
Just remember that you have to go down the same way you came up, which can be a bit challenging on the steep and narrow stairs (not to mention the lower ceiling heights for those who are a bit taller like me).
Scattered throughout the store, you’ll find chairs set up if you want to take a minutes to flip through some of the books within the collection, though I personally just enjoyed them as photo subjects during my visit.
Overall, Baldwin’s Book Barn is definitely one of the most unique places to visit in all of PA. It’s truly a magical spot and if you love books, history, architecture, or anything similar, I’d definitely make this a must visit spot when exploring southeastern PA.
Baldwin’s Book Barn can be found at 865 Lenape Rd, West Chester, PA 19382. It is open everyday from 10 am to 5 pm.
Looking for more places to visit nearby? Check out the covered bridges of Chester County, the American Helicopter Museum, and the Brandywine River Museum of Art.
"
