Book Alley

STILL OPERATING
Pasadena, California, United States·1992–Present·4 Historic Addresses

No archival photograph cataloged for this location

Cataloged Bookmarks & Tickets

1 Specimen
Historical Chronicle & Milestones

TIMELINE

Annals of Book Alley · Pasadena
1992

Grand Opening

611 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena

1992

Annex closed. Main store moved to 1252 E Colorado Blvd.

Annex closed. Main store moved to 1252 E Colorado Blvd.

1995

Relocated to 611 E Blvd

Relocated to 611 E Blvd

1996

Opened Annex at 696 E Colorado Blvd

Opened Annex at 696 E Colorado Blvd

Bookstore History

Founded in 1992 by Tom Rogers, Book Alley began in an alleyway space in Old Pasadena before relocating eastward along Colorado Boulevard. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, it operated at 611 E. Colorado Blvd in the Playhouse District—supplemented briefly by an auxiliary annex, Book Alley Too, at 696 E. Colorado Blvd—before establishing its permanent home at 1252 E. Colorado Blvd. Spanning more than three decades in Pasadena, it has grown into one of the largest used, rare, and out-of-print bookshops in Southern California, maintaining over 50,000 volumes with a strong emphasis on art, architecture, graphic design, cinema, and literature.

Historic Location & Map

Explore the physical neighborhood and historic street address on Google Maps

Alley in Old Pasadena

1st Location (Original)Active 1992–1995

Pasadena, California, United States