Bell’s Books in downtown Palo Alto celebrates ninety years of fine bookselling in 2025! Bell’s Books will host a ninetieth anniversary party at 536 Emerson Street (the store) on October 18, 2025, from 2 pm to 6 pm.
The event will feature presses from Kinetic Steam Works. Guests will have the opportunity to print their own bookmarks and watch master printers create three-color souvenir coasters. Several local authors will be on hand to sign their books, available for purchase in the bookstore during the event.
The staff have also curated a display of the ninety finest books on offer from Bell’s today, such as The Souls of Black Folk signed by W.E.B. du Bois, a signed first edition of The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, A Wrinkle in Time signed by Madeleine L’Engle, and a first edition of J.R.R Tolkien’s first book!
Bell’s will be open as usual during the event, and guests are encouraged to explore the 350,000 books in stock in our historic building. The party will also coincide with the City of Palo Alto’s Code:ART installations around the downtown area.
Please join us for the revelry in celebrating Palo Alto’s oldest purveyor of new, used, and rare books as it reaches this milestone achievement!
