
The Northeast’s only book village is approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes from Boston. The village is composed entirely of bookstores, eight in total, each offering a unique mix of antique, eclectic, modern, and rare books.
It’s a bookworm’s fantasy!
History of Hobart Book Village
The town itself was incorporated in 1788! That is 238 years ago! In 1961, Richard Booth introduced the concept of a “book village” in rural Wales.
Booth transformed the Wales town, Hay-on-Wye, into the world’s first book village, purchasing several town buildings and turning them into bookstores. Hay-on-Wye remains the original book village, with 25 independent booksellers.
Don Dales, a Hobart entrepreneur, introduced this same concept to New York in 2005. With eight independent bookstores, Hobart became the Northeast’s first and only book village!
Tourism in Hobart Village
While this little town remains a hidden gem, it also happens to draw in hundreds of book enthusiasts and collectors year-round. The most popular times to visit Hobart Book Village are during its bi-annual weekend sales, falling on Memorial Day weekend and Thanksgiving Day.
Village booksellers
There’s a total of eight unique booksellers at the Hobart Book Village. Each has something different to offer in its storefront. Hobart Book Village is home to:
- Adams’ Antiquarian Books
- Blenheim Hill Books
- Creative Corner Books
- Liberty Rock Books
- Lion Eye Books
- New York Books & Ephemera
- Quarry Books
- More Good Books
According to the Hobart Book Village, the Adams’ bookshop always serves fresh bread or cookies courtesy of Diana Adams.
Where to stay in Hobart?
The book village is just under four hours driving from Boston. It’s about an additional two hours away from Western Massachusetts, so you could stay in the Berkshires and then continue into the Catskills.
If staying in the Catskills, Hobart Book Village offers three main lodging options:
- Carriage House Inn
- The Country House B&B
- The Mountain Brook Inn
You can also opt for a nature retreat at AutoCamp! The Falmouth AirStream glamping outpost also has an upstate New York option that’s about 1-hour away from Hobart.