The Book Loft in German Village has a maze of 32 rooms full of books and other materials. (Credit: The Book Loft)

The Book Loft in German Village is a great place for book lovers to lose themselves. With a maze of 32 rooms stretching more than a city block long, The Book Loft, located in Columbus’ historic German Village, has an ambience all its own.

The Book Loft, founded in 1977, resides in buildings around 150 years old, covering multiple stories and winding through many stairs, nooks and crannies. It’s one of the nation’s largest independent bookstores, and maybe among the most unique.

Long corridors full of books (all new books — no used books) make The Book Loft an experience for anyone interested in finding a book about any subject imaginable. It’s possible to get lost in this labyrinth of rooms. Each room of The Book Loft has a different theme.

The Lower West Wing entrance leads into rooms 1-7, which cover new arrival bargain books, religious books, mind/body/spirit, metaphysics, health and fitness, and a sprawling collection of cookbooks.

View a video about German Village, including the Book Loft and other attractions.

Up the stairs to the Upper West Wing’s rooms 8-13, there is fiction by genre, reference books, philosophy, and the classics.

Past the new arrivals and bestsellers in room 14, the rest of the Upper East Wing’s rooms 15-25 cover the lion’s share of nonfiction titles, including biographies, business, history, science, and art.

The Book Loft has 32 rooms of books and books in an outdoor courtyard in warm seasons. (Credit: The Book Loft)

In addition to books, The Book Loft features unique greeting cards, the largest collection of jigsaw puzzles in the Midwest, bins of posters, and the latest popular and classic board games. Music available for sale plays on 18 sound systems throughout the store, featuring prominent names in adult contemporary and great vintage artists in genres like blues, jazz, swing and big bands.

The history of the store’s main building at 631 S. Third St. goes back at least to 1877, when it opened as Maurer’s Saloon. When Prohibition arrived, the building became a nickelodeon, called the Lily Cinema. Later, it became Mrs. Keller’s Doll Hospital and Variety Store. The building would also see use as a church, a decorating company, an art studio and school, an indoor golf course, a Kroger grocery store, a flower shop, antique store, jewelry store and card shop. The store’s second entrance at 632 City Park was originally a tavern as well.

The Book Loft is located at 631 S. Third St., Columbus in historic German Village (614) 464-1774. Hours are 10 a.m.-11 p.m. 7 days a week.

Find other independent bookstores in Ohio at Dusty Tires.

Ken Drenten is creator and editor of Dusty-Tires.com, a travel blog for out-of-the-ordinary places in Ohio.

Subscribe to Dusty Tires and receive a weekly email with the latest blog article. It’s free and ad-free!

All rights reserved, Dusty Tires (dusty-tires.com), 2024.