While in Denver for my birthday, I went to the Tattered Cover Bookstore several times. When I travel, I enjoy checking out their most well known bookstores. I went to Livraria Lello while in Porto, Portugal – an alleged inspiration for J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter novels. I knew I’d be visiting Tattered Cover as well. Unlike Livraria Lello, it did not disappoint and I went back several times during my trip.
If you’d like to know more about my experience visiting Tattered Cover, keep reading.
Tattered Cover Bookstore
Address: 1701 Wynkoop Street (near the train station)
Hours: 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. (M-F), 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. (Sat.), 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Sun.)
There are two other locations in Denver. For more information about those locations, check here.
The perfect place for a rest.
Inside Tattered Cover is a café. I myself didn’t buy anything, but if you want to get a small snack or a drink while you read, this is a great place to do it. Other than that, what I really enjoyed about Tattered Cover are the seating areas, including places to charge my phone. I’d come here after several hours of exploring when I wasn’t ready to head back to my hostel. I was able to do some reading on a comfy couch while my phone charged.
Not all seats have outlets near them, so you have to be strategic to find them and time it so you’re there when it’s not as packed. Which is hard because it’s a popular tourist stop and a great place! The decor of the Wynkoop location (near Union Station) is quite cozy, rustic and vintage. Lots of dark, rich colors and wood. You definitely feel like you’re in a quintessential bookstore when you’re at Tattered Cover.
A bit more information
Tattered Cover bookstore is an independent bookstore with several locations throughout Colorado. They are locally owned and I believe they were founded in Denver. Besides your standard new releases and classics that most bookstores offer, they also has a great selection of used books. Hence, the name “tattered cover.” However, the books I saw were all in great condition, so don’t think you’re getting beat up looking books at Tattered Cover.
In fact, I found a used hardcover copy of Caraval by Stephanie Garber for $8. It was on my wishlist for a bit so I was pumped to find it for a great price. Which I should note, being an independent bookstore you’re not going to find the cheapest prices at TC. Most books were several dollars more expensive at Tattered Cover than Amazon, Target, etc. But if supporting local business is important to you, than this may be worth it for you. For me, however, the used book section was for me as far as purchases.
If you are unsure about a purchase
One thing I love about bookstores is being able to read a bunch of new releases to decide whether you want to read them. Tattered Cover is no different. However, due to the price of several books I am interested in, I decided to just come back nearly everyday on my trip to read a book on my TBR: Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
If you watch Booktube videos, you’ve likely heard of Daisy Jones & the Six. At Tattered Cover, the display of this book called my name. As I charged my phone I spent hours reading this book. First off, it was fantastic! It was my first TJR reid… I mean, read, and she didn’t disappoint. Secondly, the AC, comfy seats and chill environment at TC made my time very enjoyable. Plus, I didn’t have to spend any money to read it. Sounds like a win to me.
Staff Recommendations
While wandering around TC, I enjoyed reading the staff recommendations. It was nice reading why certain people enjoyed a book I haven’t read as well as some I have. Additionally, the staff around were friendly but not overbearing.
Definitely check out Tattered Cover
If you’re a book lover and will be in Denver, I highly recommend coming here. Have you been to any of the other locations? What were they like?
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