The Last Bookstore
The Last Bookstore
4.5
11:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Monday
11:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday
11:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday
11:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday
11:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday
11:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Saturday
11:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Sunday
11:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience The Last Bookstore
The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Downtown
Downtown Los Angeles is a busy metropolis of towering buildings, bustling streets, and industrial warehouses. There is a distinct multiplicity of cultures here with a growing influx of business professionals and hipsters. Many call the evolution of Downtown over recent years gentrification. New lofts, bars, hotels and restaurants are popping up regularly. Downtown is home to some of the very best restaurants in the city leading the LA foodie scene, plus it is the location of cultural and sports venues including the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Staples Center, and the Coliseum at the University of Southern California.
How to get there
- Pershing Square • 3 min walk
- 7th St/Metro Center • 10 min walk
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
2,533 within 5 kms
Attractions
685 within 10 kms
See what travellers are saying
- Laura MPleasantville, New York39 contributionsNot the last visit to the the Last Book StoreWell worth the trip to Downtown LA, which is an interesting area but you must keep your wits about you. The bookstore has so much to see and great artists have residence upstairs. The sci fi collection of used books is pretty good. Honestly it’s more about the vibe and interesting books and crannies of the bookstore that were the highlight.Visited November 2023Travelled with friendsWritten November 18, 2023
- Maria 🪷Los Angeles, California134 contributionsA requisite visit for bibliophiles!What a lovely bookstore! There are so, so many thoughtfully organized books in delightful arrangements. Explore the little books and crannies in this gorgeous building. I was surprised to see a mini-art gallery upstairs, alongside some quirky shops. I’ve been to bookstores around the world and this one is a highlight! There are ample seating options (with time limits, thank goodness). They even sell records! Highly recommend for any book lover visiting LA!Visited November 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten November 29, 2023
- Halie TMarietta, Georgia81 contributionsGet lost finding booksWe visited The Last Bookstore on our brief trip to LA and wow… this has got to be the largest and most mystical bookstore I’ve ever been to! I’ve wanted to visit this place since I was a teen, after seeing the infamous book arch online, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. There’s plenty of space to lounge and read while your partner is aimlessly wandering (which is what my husband did). The amount of books to choose from is overwhelming and I don’t think one trip is enough to satisfy. I plan on visiting again, hopefully with enough time to browse all their media.Visited September 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten May 14, 2024
- EvaBothell, Washington1,170 contributionsA Literary WonderlandWhen making a list of the must visit places. I remembered this bookstore from when I lived in LA. Finally had the perfect trip to visit again. Located in downtown Los Angeles, The Last Bookstore is a must-visit for book lovers. Housed in a former bank, its 22,000-square-foot space features high ceilings, marble pillars, and vintage decor. The store’s highlights include a whimsical book tunnel, a section for rare books, and a cozy reading room. More than just a bookstore, it serves as a community hub with regular author readings, book signings, and live music. The passionate staff adds to the charm, making the visit very enjoyable. Whether you’re into books, art, or unique experiences, The Last Bookstore offers something special for everyone. I’m definitely going back before I head home as I only had time to find 4 art books and still need to browse the other sections in their entirety…I suspect I’ll be needing another suitcase…Visited September 2024Travelled soloWritten September 18, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
505 reviews
Excellent
359
Very good
107
Average
28
Poor
6
Terrible
5
Kevin
Brooklyn, NY107 contributions
Feb 2020
It's like an attraction more than a bookstore. You hardly see people actually reading. Many are there because it's a neat place and great for selfies and pictures due to the lights and unique setup that it has. You can buy books there but just know it's going to be a bit more than what you would pay for from online sites like amazon or thriftboks. It's basically a used bookstore or a huge garage sale for books. Some things you will find new, but most seem old and used but in good condition. Not ideal for actually reading since too many people walk about and cause a lot of noise. Cameras out everywhere.
Written February 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
5val
Los Angeles, CA3 contributions
Aug 2020 • Couples
I normally order books through Amazon, but I decided that I wanted to support local book stores like this one. I walked in with the intention of buying a specific book or having them ordering it for me. I was informed that to walk into the store requires a $5 deposit that will will be applied towards any purchase, if you decide not to purchase a book, you can only get a $5 credit for next time. I find this highly offensive. From this point forward I will use amazon. Poor business model.
Written August 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
toddosbeck
Grand Rapids, MI14 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
The Last Bookstore is a place you can get lost in for several hours looking at books. It is like taking a journey through a magical land of literature where you discover something new around ever corner. There are art displays, book sculptures and my wife’s favorite, a knitting store in the bookstore. It’s a fun place to visit in downtown LA.
Written February 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
waynefromcali
Yucaipa, CA4,520 contributions
Aug 2023 • Friends
When you enter The Last Bookstore through their grand doorway and entry lobby,reminiscent of the golden age of huge retail shops and stores from the 50's and 60's, you are met with the view of the grand hall main floor with views of the surrounding second story mezzanine that lets you know this will be a great bookstore adventure!
The Last Bookstore is the largest independent new and used bookstore in California and in the top 5 in the USA!
The Last Bookstore also features an eclectic variety of local artists and their working studios on the second floor mezzanine!
They have a enormous variety of separate rooms,spaces,alcoves,cubby holes and display shelves that flow throughout the first and second floor areas with every genre of book imaginable! They also have a great 45 33 vinyl record area with new and used music!
Be sure to have a look at the rooms created from a number of old bank vaults with special editions-just incredible!
Bring your camera because their are tons of great photo ops here and you can feel free to photograph anywhere in this fun place.
The store also has t-shirts and memorabilia to remember your visit!
The staff at The Last Bookstore is very friendly and helpful too!
The Last Bookstore in downtown Los Angeles is a must see when your in the area for a great time-and best of all its free to visit! Open 7 days from 11 AM to 8 PM.
.
.
.
.
.
#thelastbookstore #seetheusa #bookstores #downtownlosangeles
#springstreet #ilovebooks #localartists #newandusedbooks #ilovebookstores
#familyfun #losangeles #mustsee #books #photoops
The Last Bookstore is the largest independent new and used bookstore in California and in the top 5 in the USA!
The Last Bookstore also features an eclectic variety of local artists and their working studios on the second floor mezzanine!
They have a enormous variety of separate rooms,spaces,alcoves,cubby holes and display shelves that flow throughout the first and second floor areas with every genre of book imaginable! They also have a great 45 33 vinyl record area with new and used music!
Be sure to have a look at the rooms created from a number of old bank vaults with special editions-just incredible!
Bring your camera because their are tons of great photo ops here and you can feel free to photograph anywhere in this fun place.
The store also has t-shirts and memorabilia to remember your visit!
The staff at The Last Bookstore is very friendly and helpful too!
The Last Bookstore in downtown Los Angeles is a must see when your in the area for a great time-and best of all its free to visit! Open 7 days from 11 AM to 8 PM.
.
.
.
.
.
#thelastbookstore #seetheusa #bookstores #downtownlosangeles
#springstreet #ilovebooks #localartists #newandusedbooks #ilovebookstores
#familyfun #losangeles #mustsee #books #photoops
Written August 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rosi
Seattle, WA1,203 contributions
Nov 2022 • Family
I literally stumbled upon this place when looking for things to do in LA that go beyond the usual suspects: Santa Monica, Universal Studios, etc. And what a gem it turned out to be. Bookstores for the most part lost their character, but this one is full of it: old jazz records playing in the background, people flipping through their finds in a few reading corners, rows upon rows of vynil records, books going from the latest prints all the way to some rare finds. Oh, they have a few quirky elements too - be prepared :D Great place to stop by if you have a teenager in tow too. But be prepared for “can we please buy this record, and this book, and that one, also this one too, please?”
Written November 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Adam B
Princeton, NJ186 contributions
Aug 2021
My family loved the communal vibe of this converted warehouse. With interesting nooks and crannies , you feel like your in an "Alice in Wonderland" journey. Books, vinyl records, handmade crafts , all at the Last Bookstore" Your in the old downtown part of LA Seedy , but at the same time attempting a renaissance . In the neighborhood are jewelry, electronic shops next to empty storefronts.
We found parking right around the corner from the Last Bookstore for 10 dollars
We found parking right around the corner from the Last Bookstore for 10 dollars
Written August 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dustythoughts
Manchester, CT2,169 contributions
Sept 2022
This bookstore is unlike any other one I've visited with my husband, and I've been to a lot of bookstores. The decorations alone are super creative and unique, and placed in so many places that you need to keep your eyes peeled for the small details. There are books stuffed in every nook and cranny, with such a dizzying variety of authors and genres that you could spend all day in here and not even come close to identifying all of the books in here. When you first walk into the bookstore, it looks like a wonderful bookstore (which it is), but the more you explore, the more you find. On the second floor, there are small rooms with artwork, a book tunnel lit up with fairy lights, a book wall with a circular window, and a decoration of books flying off the ceiling (which provided a Harry Potter-esque feeling). The gift shops are fantastic, with an array of creatively entertaining options. There's a small art gallery on the second floor, so be sure to visit it. This building used to be a bank, and on the second floor there's a room that used to be a vault; you can still see the remnants of the door, and they filled the vault with even more books and decorations.
Written September 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kelly F
Los Angeles, CA56 contributions
Sept 2022
As soon as I checked my books and entered the bookstore, I never wanted to leave. I spent about 2 hours browsing books and taking pics of all their cool art exhibits. There's even a little Art Gallery upstairs and you can buy the works on display. Some artists also had little shops upstairs. Very mellow and chill. I'll definitely be back :)
Written March 6, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HeardItBothWays
Easton, PA2,364 contributions
Oct 2019
My husband and I visited The Last Bookstore during our time in LA while exploring the West Coast. We had seen pictures of The Last Bookstore and thought it would be a fun place to check out. We're both avid readers and love checking out unique bookstores (and picking up a book to remember it by!). When we were in Venice,
Libreria Acqua Alta was one of the highlights of our trip and my husband was so excited to find an Italian copy of a book from one of his favorite book series (Dragonlance).
The Last Bookstore wasn't the experience we thought it would be at all. When we entered, they asked my husband if he could check his bag (a camera bag that was smaller than my pocketbook, which they had no issue with). They told us they had no issue with cameras, just the bag. Fine, we checked it, not a big deal.
The store itself is full of fun and interesting displays of books and related history. We would have really enjoyed exploring it more but the staff were clearly very on edge about us for some reason. I can't imagine what it would have been - we were obviously tourists (I had my SLR with me) and were dressed up for dinner (we were heading to Barton G afterward) but we were definitely being followed as we went through the store. They had a little room with special editions of books and we went in there to see if they had any special editions of our favorites. I'm dying to get a leather-bound or other nice copy of E.M. Forster's "A Room With a View" but the staff actually made it uncomfortable (and didn't offer any assistance). We decided to ignore them and continue looking through the store anyway, but it was a really bad experience.
We ended up deciding not to buy anything at all because we didn't find anything worth packing in our suitcase and the staff made our shopping experience unwelcoming. I would strike The Last Bookstore from your list if you're in town and shop elsewhere.
Libreria Acqua Alta was one of the highlights of our trip and my husband was so excited to find an Italian copy of a book from one of his favorite book series (Dragonlance).
The Last Bookstore wasn't the experience we thought it would be at all. When we entered, they asked my husband if he could check his bag (a camera bag that was smaller than my pocketbook, which they had no issue with). They told us they had no issue with cameras, just the bag. Fine, we checked it, not a big deal.
The store itself is full of fun and interesting displays of books and related history. We would have really enjoyed exploring it more but the staff were clearly very on edge about us for some reason. I can't imagine what it would have been - we were obviously tourists (I had my SLR with me) and were dressed up for dinner (we were heading to Barton G afterward) but we were definitely being followed as we went through the store. They had a little room with special editions of books and we went in there to see if they had any special editions of our favorites. I'm dying to get a leather-bound or other nice copy of E.M. Forster's "A Room With a View" but the staff actually made it uncomfortable (and didn't offer any assistance). We decided to ignore them and continue looking through the store anyway, but it was a really bad experience.
We ended up deciding not to buy anything at all because we didn't find anything worth packing in our suitcase and the staff made our shopping experience unwelcoming. I would strike The Last Bookstore from your list if you're in town and shop elsewhere.
Written September 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ramon A
Orlando, FL501 contributions
Aug 2022 • Family
Very cool bookstore in DTLA (downtown LA), lots of eclectic books both current and classic, new and used. I really enjoyed the vinyl section. They have a second floor with themed sections and an artist collective store area that was really cool to walk through and get that LA vibe from.
Written August 13, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
They did not have wifi the last time we visited.
Written October 19, 2023
I read that you have to leave water bottles and your bag at the entrance. What are you allowed to take inside the store? Mobile/cell phone? Wallet? Cloth reusable carry bags? Thanks in advance for your help!
Written May 26, 2019
Phone and wallet. Not happy about bags that could hold stolen items. This general area of Downtown is a bit edgy. all types walking around on the pavements.
Written June 3, 2019
Kayla Powell
Lubbock, Texas
If you buy a book, do they stamp it with a Last Bookstore stamp or anything? I would like a souvenir, but I want it to have some indication of where I got it so it doesn't just end up being a random book on my shelf. If not, do they sell anything else that could be a souvenir?
Written April 1, 2019
No, just the normal receipt, I just grabbed a bookmark. That for me is a nice souvenir.
Written April 1, 2019
Do you sell italian books?
Written January 17, 2019
balexcoinstallation
Fort Myers, Florida
What is the best time to go there when less crowded?
Written April 19, 2018
Showing results 1-7 of 7
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing