Powell's City of Books

Top choice in Portland


Powell's is one of the USA's largest independent bookstores, with a whole city block of new and used titles, and a well-attended series of readings.

There's another branch at 3723 SE Hawthorne Blvd (with a Home and Garden bookstore next door), and one at the airport.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Portland attractions

1. Center for Contemporary Art & Culture

0.32 MILES

Home to the 1300-item collection of the former Museum of Contemporary Craft, this exhibition space at PNCA (Pacific Northwest College of Art) focuses on…

2. Pioneer Courthouse Square

0.33 MILES

The heart of downtown Portland, at the heart of Portland’s retail district and the city’s transit system, is a multi-tiered brick plaza nicknamed Portland…

3. Pioneer Courthouse

0.35 MILES

Across 6th Ave from Pioneer Courthouse Square is the Pioneer Courthouse. Built in 1875, this was the legal center of 19th-century Portland. The courthouse…

4. Chinatown Gateway

0.36 MILES

Though it was once the second-largest Chinatown in the US, don't expect flashbacks of Shanghai in Portland's Chinese quarter these days – most of its…

5. Jamison Square Fountain

0.4 MILES

For simple pleasures, visit the Jamison Square Fountain, a popular Pearl District oasis that attracts splashing kids.

6. Shanghai Tunnels

0.42 MILES

Downtown Portland's basements were once connected by tunnels running beneath the streets and down to riverside docks. While they were built for shipping…

7. Lan Su Chinese Garden

0.44 MILES

This classical Chinese garden is a one-block haven of tranquility, with a traditional teahouse, reflecting ponds and manicured greenery. Guided tours are…

8. Portland Art Museum

0.49 MILES

Alongside the South Park Blocks, Portland Art Museum's excellent exhibits include Native American carvings, Asian and American art, photography and…