Bart’s Books

I’ve been to Bart’s Books before, but on my last trip to Ojai I planned to spend more time here, browse around, take my time.
Like Ojai, Bart’s Books is a place where you should take your time. You’re in another world, where the words: «hurry», «busy» don’t exist. You’re on Ojai time, so slow it down, seat back, enjoy the sunshine. In a bookstore? Yes, mostly Bart’s Books is an outdoor bookstore that’s been around for 30 years or so. It’s located in an old house, cozy, with plenty of seating around to chill and page through a book. No rush. They have mostly used books, prices are a bit high. But they have some areas inside the house with classics, first editions (I can’t afford them but it’s nice to check them out), new releases, a cute cooking books area in a tiled, nicely decorated kitchen, very attractive (and I’m not much of a cook myself).
I can spend hours in here. I wish customer service would be a bit better, friendlier. Some of the books aren’t in the best shape since they live outside, in the elements. But look around, there are many choices and temptations for book lovers.
When you visit Ojai, Bart’s Books should be on your list. It’s within walking distance from downtown in a cute neighborhood. Charming place, very unique, one of a kind.
My husband found some goodies, some nice books he wasn’t looking for, but that’s part of the charm of browsing in here. And I lost track of time and sometimes got lost, browsing room after room. No rush. It’s Ojai time.

I have been to many bookstores in my time… but Bart’s has a special place in my heart. I remember it wiggling into my heart, oh, maybe 20 – 25 years ago when I was just a wee little lass. My sibling, mom, and I used to take daytrips just to load up on books and sunshine here. Always a comfy place to be, with other bibliophiles, animals, and friendly air towards children, too. There used to be a big oak in the centre, but I believe it had to be taken out due to instability.

A must see. So unique to Ojai. An outdoor book store with so much charm. You could spend hours here relaxing and reading. WOW — never seen anything like it. Every town needs one of these!

All together lovely. I visited yesterday afternoon with my mom. I learned about Bart’s Books from
. When I first looked at it, I thought of an old hacienda. It has an open, rectangular layout. I chose eleven books:
Soon to be a Motion Picture by Abbie Hoffman
The Child that Books Built by Francis Spufford
Blossoms on the Wind by Juliet Lac
500 Great Books by Women: A Reader’s Guide by Erica Bauermeister, Jesse Larsen and Holly Smith
Sleeping with Soldiers by Rosemary Daniell
Journal of My Life by Jacques-​Louis Menetra
Around the House and in the Garden by Dominique Browning
Until I Say Goodbye by Susan Spencer-​Wendel with Bret Witter
Daughter of the Queen of Sheba by Jacki Lyden
The Pleasures of Reading by Robert Alter
Love’s Apprentice by Shirley Abbott
Reading, Writing and Leaving Home by Lynn Freed
The employees and fellow customers were very gracious. The aura contains freedom and joy and was supplemented by the abundant sunshine. A glorious feature to Ojai.

This was our first stop in Ojai and we bought 4 wonderful books! 3 of them are great Philip K Dick novels. Really love this open air, relaxed used book store!!!

Bart’s Books, the cutest outdoor bookstore! It is a used bookstore, but the books are gently used with many showing no signs of use whatsoever. Get your vitamin D all while browsing fantastic titles in every genre imaginable! I stayed here for 2 hours perusing the array of books. They have just what you’re looking for. I found books on learning to surf, the famous Runner’s handbook aka marathon Bible and a book on California state parks! I promise you’ll have a delightful time and I’m certain this will be one of the top if not the best bookstore you’ve ever been to. Thanks Bart’s for an amazing afternoon and providing an experience that can’t be found online (spoken from a diehard Amazon shopper too!). I’m already looking forward to my return the next time I’m in Ojai.

this place is amazing not just as a book store but as a cool place just to sit and chill~
The used book store has shelves of books in what used to be a home and the yard! The shelves around the perimeter kind of form a courtyard that you can sit just be while checking out a good book! Everytime I see that all the cookbooks are in the kitchen I giggle. THere are rooms for history, art and an outdoor area for kids books and tween books! It is a must see when in Ojai and not far from the main street. Walking distance from the rainbow bridge parking. But then again it is Ojai and street parking is always easy to find!

An outdoor bookstore?! This place is great! Still can’t figure out what they do when it rains but it’s awesome!

One of my go to spots in Ojai. I love bookstores, especially secondhand shops, and this one is a classic. Do not miss the cookbooks located in what was once the kitchen of the old house. Through the kitchen lies the special edition, higher priced books.
Then there are loads of paperbacks of every genre, all alphabetized by author, so you can actually find specific books, rather than digging through a pile of unsorted books. Lots of non fiction books sorted by topic make for fun browsing. Prices are a little high overall, but it is the price you pay for actually finding what you are looking for.
Even cooler, on the bookshelves are hardbacks available ²⁴⁄₇ on the honor system. Grab one and throw in your 50 cents. Now that is Ojai.

Early last year, my friends and I went on a little day trip to Ojai. On road trips up north, we always seem to pass by this little town but never once have we actually set foot and explored it. I’m glad we made it a point to visit because there are so many little treasures all over this town. Our first stop was Bart’s Books. Bart’s Books, at the corner of Matilija and Canada Streets, is the home to the largest independently owned and operated outdoor bookstore in the USA. In lieu of a cash register way back when, ‘Bart’ left coffee cans atop book cases. Passersby and curious book lovers would select a book or two and leave payment in the cans. This is how Bart’s Books tradition of selling books via the honour system came to be! I love it.
This is truly a one of a kind bookstore. There are tons of books to rummage through. It is set up like an outdoor library however there are more books inside the actual house! The possibilities of finding a new beloved book with stories to inspire and characters to connect with are endless! I got lost in the foreign languages section and I was quite alright with it. My heart is bursting with utter happiness just reliving that particular moment in time. Needless to say, my love for secondhand bookstores was rekindled the day we visited and one day, my dream of opening and managing my own secondhand bookstore will become reality. Fingers crossed!

Make time to stop at Bart’s Books while you are in the Ojai area. This indoor/​mainly outdoor book store has been around for years and is a gem.
They have a wide selection of books that curated by type/​topic. Just wander among the stacks or rather book cases and explore your reading options. Hubby found a signed copy of a book and carried it with him for the balance of our mini-​vacay. Rather cute and a thrifty entertainment option.
GEM.

This may kind of be the greatest used book store ever!
It’s set up like a library, but outdoors. When closed, there is an honor system to buy books from the outer wall, where you just slip your money into a slot in the front door. The staff was surprisingly helpful and knowledgeable about their inventory, and took about 15 minutes to help me find some new books at a higher reading level for my son.
I didn’t have the time to peruse as much as I would have liked, but this destination is on my itinerary next time I’m in town!

Ok, this book store is one of a kind and so amazing! Wander all around, get lost, inside and outside, find a book, sit down outside and open it, enjoy. I could spend hours here and maybe did, but could spend more hours. Large selection, good prices, friendly people and perfect, unique setting!

Really enjoyed this bookstore. The majority of their books are used and shelved outdoors. However, there are some books that are new and actually located indoors. I love that they have shelved books flanking two streets. You can even procure these books during after hours. However, they do expect you to pay for them, but it is based on the honor system. This was actually really refreshing to see as Ojai businesses are trusting that the consumer will pay for their merchandise. I also loved the fact that you could literally just sit around and read a book as there are plenty of places to sit around.

Bart’s Books embodies everything that is quintessential to Ojai.
It’s an outdoor used bookstore.
It’s cozy.
The selection is expansive and everything is reasonably priced at market value.
The staff? Super friendly and attentive.
Bart’s Books is a labyrinth of bookshelves that you could spend hours exploring. There were pockets of the store I didn’t know existed until my second or third run through of the store. On a nice day, you could essentially sit, and sift through a book at your leisure.
Bibliophile? Do yourself a favor and pay a visit to Bart’s.

Bottom line: the coolest book store in the world?
A book store that took over a house like vines over taking an old car next to a barn… you can easily spend an afternoon in here exploring all the nooks and crannies

This place is super unique. I can see a bookstore like this existing in Austin, TX if that helps anyone. It’s a winding house loaded and I mean LOADED with so many books — most of them used and in need of a nice home. My favorite part was that the cook books were in the kitchen part of the house. Genius.
A nice touch I thought was after hours if you wanted to there are out door shelves with hundreds of books that you may rent out for fifty cents. Honor system applies here. There needs to be more places like this. Staff is knowledgeable, and knows where everything is. Seems daunting!
As with most of Ojai, there is plenty of parking nearby.

One of the best used bookstores I’ve been in lately. It’s open air. It’s endless. It’s all used and well organized. I didn’t find the 2 or 3 rare books I was looking for but that’s understandable.
This bookstore has a format that I’ve never seen before. The selection is amazing. Nothing I wanted to find and nothing found me on this visit. It is such a comfortable environment you could brows for hours.
The people who work here are super cool. It feels more like a library than a bookstore. It’s truly a unique bookstore.

The first outdoor bookstore I’ve ever fallen in love with.
For the book worms: a varied selection, organized in categories like at any bookstore. There’s even a small children’s section. Because everything is exposed to air and sun, naturally the books undergo aging, wear and tear so expect less than pristine, untouched, perfect edges and color. It’s more like used-​books status.
For the loungers: benches, tables and chairs are sprinkled throughout the space.
Under the circumstances, this is probably my happy place for a nap, some reading, sketching and photography.
A special spot for locals and tourists.
HOURS:
Mondays: 9:30am-7pm
Tuesdays-​Sundays: 9am-6:30pm

If you are a used-​book lover or any type of book lover, you MUST check out Bart’s Books. It is one of my favorite book stores ever, in fact I prefer it to Powells up in Portland. Everything is outside and the selection is great! I cannot wait to go back.
I wish we had a place like this in my neighborhood so I could go every weekend.