Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Massachusetts Montague The Montague Book Mill

The Montague Book Mill

Books you don’t need in a place you can’t find.

Montague, Massachusetts

Added By
Rebecca Rideout
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The structure retains a lot of the charm of centuries past.   Mike Steinhoff/CC by 2.0
The book shop is flanked by a restaurant, cafe, and other stores.   John Phelan/CC by 3.0
  missingfilm / Atlas Obscura User
Looking out the window  
  pretendingtowrite / Atlas Obscura User
  pretendingtowrite / Atlas Obscura User
  pretendingtowrite / Atlas Obscura User
  pretendingtowrite / Atlas Obscura User
  BuncoBilko / Atlas Obscura User
Lady Killgrew Cafe adjacent to the book store  
  BuncoBilko / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Located on the back roads of western Massachusetts, amidst historic buildings and a serene river landscape, the Montague Book Mill has 25,000 books jammed into a 175-year-old building perched on the banks of the Sawmill River, a narrow creek filled with black stones smoothed by the cold water.

Like most old mill buildings in the region, the revamped interior has retained most of the character of the original building, with scuffed wooden floors, giant windows, and traces of the industrial nature it once had. Once known as Stone’s Gristmill, the building began as a grain mill for local families in the 1830s and was used as a water powered drill press in the 1940s before being bought and transformed in 1987.

The maze-like aisles and staircase make book searching nearly as enjoyable as browsing. In every corner you’ll find an armchair, bench, or couch to take in the view over the fast moving river. Readers can be found in both the summer afternoon sun or cuddling up during a blizzard reading about everything from astrology to African history to arachnids to abstract art.

The store is now part of a bigger complex that uses the surrounding outbuildings to house independently owned businesses that complement the book store including an artist studio, a record store, an antique shop, a restaurant, and an adjoining café whose huge windows overlook the rushing waterfall.

Related Tags

Shops

Community Contributors

Added By

Outrider

Edited By

Blindcolour, Edward Denny, BuncoBilko, Ashley...

  • Blindcolour
  • Edward Denny
  • BuncoBilko
  • Ashley
  • jessicahester1
  • missingfilm
  • pretendingtowrite
  • jmocklin

Published

June 1, 2010

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
The Montague Book Mill
440 Greenfield Rd
Montague, Massachusetts, 01351
United States
42.537936, -72.537875
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

New England Peace Pagoda

Leverett, Massachusetts

miles away

Deerfield Massacre Mass Grave

Deerfield, Massachusetts

miles away

The Rock and Fossil and Dinosaur Shop

Deerfield, Massachusetts

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Montague

Montague

Massachusetts

Places 2

Nearby Places

New England Peace Pagoda

Leverett, Massachusetts

miles away

Deerfield Massacre Mass Grave

Deerfield, Massachusetts

miles away

The Rock and Fossil and Dinosaur Shop

Deerfield, Massachusetts

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Montague

Montague

Massachusetts

Places 2

Related Places

  • Even Anthony Bourdain picked up a knife here.

    Hong Kong

    Chan Chi Kee Cutlery Co.

    Even Michelin-starred chefs are said to get their cleavers at this century-old shop.

  • Huntington, West Virginia

    Heritage Farm Museum & Village

    Step back in time to explore 19th-century Appalachian life, from blacksmiths to Model Ts.

  • Examples of Aztec tools for making chocolate.

    Québec City, Québec

    Musée du Chocolat

    A chocolatier with a quaint museum showcasing the history of chocolate.

  • Memphis, Tennessee

    Memphis Pyramid

    The 10th-tallest pyramid in the world, this former sports arena is now home to a massive Bass Pro Shops store.

  • St. Charles, Illinois

    Ghoulish Mortals

    This horror movie and monster shop is like if a haunted house was a retail store.

  • Wilderness, South Africa

    Smokkelhuis

    A vast and varied antique and vintage collection that borders on museum status.

  • Apothecary of over 500 herbs and oils

    Indianapolis, Indiana

    Magick Candle

    Tucked into the heart of historic Irvington, this 56-year-old metaphysical shop specializes in the olde ways.

  • Stone carvings which used to adorn the stone market

    Baguio, Philippines

    Baguio Stone Market

    This market built by German prisoners of war is made of local stones.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.