Rodgers Book Barn in Hillsdale, New York

How to Fall in Love in Hillsdale, New York: Rodgers Book Barn

Maureen Rodgers has brought to fruition the dream of every book lover past and present. An oasis to escape to in the middle of a quiet farm town, where eclectic chairs demand to be used, cozy rugs entice you to explore further and books take the limelight, as they should.

This isn’t a fancy store with ludicrous markups; this is your grandmother’s personal library with price tags. Price tags that have not adjusted for inflation. Price tags that have not adjusted at all. By sparing the glamour of marketing strategies we’ve grown accustomed to, we can explore a simpler time. The charm of this whimsical place is tucked into every single nook and cranny, no space is wasted, no corner unemployed. This is so much more than a bookstore. This is a different way of life.

Visiting Rodgers Book Barn

Rodgers Book Barn was opened in 1972 and houses approximately 50,000 used titles where most of the books are priced at just a few dollars each. The bookshelves sprawl from floor to ceiling and the bookstands are as intricate as you can imagine. A cozy cast iron wood stove warmly greets you on arrival and a tempting cup of tea patiently waits for you upstairs. You come for the books, but you stay for the feeling. Everything in here gently urges you to “take your coat off and stay a while.”

In short, this is a slice of heaven on earth where every room inspires you to be better, to read more, to learn something new. The world is literally at your fingertips in this place! The books in here are so unique that you might not find what you came for, but you’re guaranteed to find something. Be warned though, the magic of this place stops time. We walked in at 11 a.m. and walked out three hours later completely surprised, albeit content.

We left with four gems and a realization. We want to be like Maureen when we grow up.

We hope you enjoy the photos!

What to Know Before You Visit

A few practical things. Rodgers Book Barn is in Hillsdale, New York, tucked into the rolling farmland of Columbia County near the Massachusetts border. It’s about a two-hour drive from New York City and an hour from Albany. We drove two hours out of our way on a fall foliage trip and it was worth every mile. The barn is open on weekends (check their website for seasonal hours since they adjust). There’s free parking right outside and no admission fee. Just walk in and start exploring. Most books are priced between $1 and $5. I’m not exaggerating. This is the opposite of a boutique bookshop with $40 coffee table books. It’s a real, lived-in collection of 50,000 used titles where you dig for treasures. We left with four books and spent less than $15 total. Give yourself at least two hours. We thought we’d pop in for thirty minutes and stayed for three. The upstairs loft alone could keep you busy for an hour if you’re a slow browser like me. If you’re anywhere close to this gem, we highly recommend stopping by. We drove two hours out of the way and couldn’t have been happier for doing so. For additional info, you can, click here for their website. We can’t recommend this place enough!

Love,

Will and Antonina