About the Haunted Bookshop

The Haunted Bookshop, Iowa City's oldest secondhand bookshop, carries over 40,000 used, rare, out of print and antiquarian titles in over 50 different subject areas, including poetry, fiction, plays, history, religion, philosophy, cultural studies, sciences and languages, art books, children's books, literary nonfiction, Iowa-related books, and more.

We are located in the Northside district in the historic Wentz House (1847), its rooms lined with shelves and comfortable chairs, its walls offering toys, games, cards, and more. Our friendly and quirky staff delight in helping visitors to find old book-friends and new, and we pride ourselves on resourcefulness and individual attention to our guests.

We're fond of avid readers, browsers, families, students, teachers, literary reviewers, artists, writers, and other good company; we welcome book groups and community organizations; and we delightedly encourage storytelling, reading aloud, book recommendation, puppet shows (use ours or bring your own), and spontaneous performances by visiting piano players.

The Cats

Aeschylus (nicknamed Esk) is a ginger tabby with a big head and a bigger heart. If he is not actively bumping his forehead against your shin, it's only because somebody else is scratching his head, and he'll be along soon to make sure you get a "boop". He is a shelter rescue, likely born in April 2017, and his birthday is observed at Passover/Easter.

Sophocles (nicknamed Sophie) is an exceptionally fluffy dilute tortie with the unusual ability to detect humans with empty laps anywhere in the store. She can be shy, but once she knows you're gentle, Sophie is an absolute snuggle machine. You are welcome to request her brush at the front counter, or just rub her forehead; she will press her head up against your hand if she's in the mood for attention. She came to us from a nearby family via the local shelter, and it's really obvious that she has been raised to trust and love. Her birthday is observed on each anniversary of October 16, 2016.
 
Nierme the catNierme was a shorthaired tabby/peach calico mix who joined us in July 2006 and passed in 2023. She was gentle, remarkably intelligent, chatty, and loved music for solo piano, particularly Satie and Chopin.

She used to jump up and sit with quiet readers in the armchairs, and she liked to give tours and bat crumpled paper balls.


 
Écaille Echo (eh-Kyle eh-Ko), a/k/a (Poilu, pwa-loo), is a white cat that many patrons have reported seeing. Bit of a mystery, there, as the humans who work here have not seen any such cat. But there are more things in heaven and on earth, etc., so...?

Nialle Sylvan is not a cat but knows where most of the books are. Nialle's current favorite book is The Moon Is Down by John Steinbeck (h/t Barbara for the recommendation).

Frequently Asked Questions

About the Bookstore and Building

Is the shop really haunted?
We're named after The Haunted Bookshop by Christopher Morley.
Are you hiring?
We are not presently hiring.
How long have you been here?
The Haunted Bookshop opened in 1978 and moved to this location in 2013. The present owner purchased the business in 2004.
You were somewhere else, then another place, now - what happened? Okay. The bookshop has lived at three previous locations (on South Johnson, East Washington, and North Linn), but moved to its own home at last at 219 N Gilbert Street. South Johnson was the yellow house with the red door, ca. 1978-1982; East Washington was the house with the big porch, ca. 1982-2008; we bought and merged with Northside Book Market in 2009 and moved to that store's location; we bought The Bookery in 2010 and merged it into the North Linn location; and when Murphy-Brookfield Books moved online in 2013, we bought their house at 219 N Gilbert. Why did we move? Well, when you see the house, you'll understand. It's on the national historic register, we can curate it for the future, and it has precisely cat-sized windowsills.
How old is this building?
The Wentz house was built in 1847 and is the foremost example of Greek Revival architecture remaining in Iowa City today.

Store Policies

How much are the books?
Nearly all our books have a price penciled on the first light-colored page, in the upper right corner. (If you can't find the price, just ask.) Generally, recent, in-print books are half or less than half of the original price.
Would you stock and sell my new book?
Congratulations on your authorship. We do not carry new books; please contact Prairie Lights, our town's premier new-books store.
Do you sell gift certificates?
Yes, we do! You can purchase one in person, by mail, or by phone, and we can mail it to you or the recipient.
Can I study / hold my book group meeting / play board or card games here?
We have seating in several rooms, and we welcome you to make use of this space. All we ask is that you respect the comfort of our patrons, and for large or regularly meeting groups, please call 319-337-2996 to schedule your meeting so that we don't promise the space and time to someone else.

About Our Services

Do you buy books?
We will resume buying books when we've cleared the present backlog. For more information, see Sell Books. We do gratefully accept donations of books in good condition for our Benefit Sale for the Iowa City Free Medical Clinic.
Can I leave my books for sale and have you call me when you're done looking at them?
No. We go through the books while you wait; it doesn't take long.
Do you search for books?
We can show you where we would search for out-of-print books; if the book is in print, check with one of the local new-books stores or search on bookshop.org, where you can buy new books from a vast selection AND support independent bookstores at the same time!
Do you keep a list of books people want?
We do!
How much is my book worth?
We do not appraise books, though we know some people who do, and we can refer you to them.
Do you repair or bind books?
We do some small repairs - page and soft cover mending, mostly - but we do not have binding facilities at this time.
Do you sell bookcases?
We have some for sale, occasionally. Just ask!