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Brattle Book Shop

Shops
 Boston, 02111

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Call: +1 617-542-0210
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About

The Brattle Book Shop traces its roots to 1825, when it was founded in the Cornhill section of Boston, and it has been run by the Gloss family since 1949. George Gloss and then his son Ken built it into one of the country’s largest antiquarian book shops, and today it fills a three-story building on West Street with more than 250,000 books, maps, prints, postcards and ephemera.

It suits a browser with an hour to lose, a collector hunting a first edition, and anyone walking the Freedom Trail who wants a detour between Boston Common and Downtown Crossing. West Street runs off Tremont Street opposite the visitor information center on the Common, and the shop describes it as a short walk from Park Street station, with Downtown Crossing on the Orange Line the other way in.

Three floors and an outdoor lot

The first two floors hold general used and out-of-print books in every subject. The third floor is the rare book room, with first editions, collectibles and fine leather bindings, and the stairwell walls show off framed highlights from it. Beside the building, an outdoor sale lot lines the brick walls with shelves and carts of books to browse in the open air.

The man behind the counter

Ken Gloss is the current proprietor, a past president of the New England chapter of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America and a longtime appraiser on PBS’s Antiques Roadshow. He appraises books and libraries for universities and institutions, lectures around New England, and hosts a podcast, Brattlecast: A Firsthand Look at Secondhand Books.

Buying, selling and searching

The shop buys everything from single volumes to whole estates, by appointment only, and makes house calls. It keeps no database of its own stock, so if you are after a particular title, the search form on its website sends staff to the shelves, with a reply within two days. Staff also help decorators and film sets furnish rooms with books, and paper gift certificates can be mailed for use in the shop.

Sources: Brattle Book Shop, About, directions, contact, FAQ, lectures. Checked September 30, 2026.

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Contact Information

Company Name
Brattle Book Shop
Phone Number
See Phone Number
Call: +1 617-542-0210
Location
9 West Street
Boston, 02111
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About Brattle Book Shop

Quick answer: Brattle Book Shop is a bookstore at 9 West Street, Boston, MA 02111. Used and rare bookshop founded in 1825, with three floors, an outdoor sale lot and a rare book room on West Street in Downtown Crossing.

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The Brattle Book Shop traces its roots to 1825, when it was founded in the Cornhill section of Boston, and it has been run by the Gloss family since 1949. George Gloss and then his son Ken built it into one of the country’s largest antiquarian book shops, and today it fills a three-story building on West Street with more than 250,000 books, maps, prints, postcards and ephemera.

It suits a browser with an hour to lose, a collector hunting a first edition, and anyone walking the Freedom Trail who wants a detour between Boston Common and Downtown Crossing. West Street runs off Tremont Street opposite the visitor information center on the Common, and the shop describes it as a short walk from Park Street station, with Downtown Crossing on the Orange Line the other way in.

Three floors and an outdoor lot

The first two floors hold general used and out-of-print books in every subject. The third floor is the rare book room, with first editions, collectibles and fine leather bindings, and the stairwell walls show off framed highlights from it. Beside the building, an outdoor sale lot lines the brick walls with shelves and carts of books to browse in the open air.

The man behind the counter

Ken Gloss is the current proprietor, a past president of the New England chapter of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America and a longtime appraiser on PBS’s Antiques Roadshow. He appraises books and libraries for universities and institutions, lectures around New England, and hosts a podcast, Brattlecast: A Firsthand Look at Secondhand Books.

Buying, selling and searching

The shop buys everything from single volumes to whole estates, by appointment only, and makes house calls. It keeps no database of its own stock, so if you are after a particular title, the search form on its website sends staff to the shelves, with a reply within two days. Staff also help decorators and film sets furnish rooms with books, and paper gift certificates can be mailed for use in the shop.

Sources: Brattle Book Shop, About, directions, contact, FAQ, lectures. Checked September 30, 2026.

Shops Bookstores Used Books Shopping Downtown Crossing shops
Phone: +1 617-542-0210

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Where is the Brattle Book Shop?+
At 9 West Street, Boston, MA 02111, in Downtown Crossing. The shop advises using the 02111 ZIP code for GPS directions because the city has several West Streets.
Q. What are the opening hours?+
The shop is open for browsing Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. A book buyer is available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Q. How do I get there by T?+
From Park Street station (Red and Green lines), cross Tremont Street toward the visitor information center on the Common; West Street is opposite, and the shop is on the left. From Downtown Crossing station (Orange Line), walk south on Washington Street and take the second right onto West Street.
Q. Where can I park?+
The shop recommends the Lafayette Garage at One Avenue de Lafayette, where a stamped ticket takes $2 an hour off the first two hours. A small independent lot next to the shop, which the shop does not own, charges $10 per half hour for cars and $40 for minivans, SUVs and pickups.
Q. Is the shop wheelchair accessible?+
Yes, the shop says it is wheelchair accessible.
Q. Does the Brattle buy books?+
Yes, by appointment only. It typically pays a quarter of its expected resale price in cash or a third in store credit. It does not buy records or comic books, textbooks, book-club condensed editions, recent bestsellers or damaged books.
Q. Can I buy books online?+
Part of the stock is listed through an online catalog on Biblio.com, linked from the shop’s website. For a specific title, use the search form on the website or email info@brattlebookshop.com.
Q. Does the shop sell gift certificates?+
Yes, in any amount. They are paper certificates mailed by USPS First Class, valid for anything in the shop but not online.

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