While the Escambia County School Board has made our area infamous for removing books from our public school libraries and classrooms, Explore has ranked Pensacola as the #4 U.S. destination for book lovers.
Why? The city boasts 3.91 bookstores and 3.16 libraries per 10,000 residents, creating a vibrant literary landscape.
- The Books By the Bay Festival, the city’s first outdoor book festival, drew s over 50 authors, booksellers, and literary enthusiasts annually.
- Open Books, a volunteer-run shop supporting prison literacy programs statewide, further enriches the city’s unique book culture.
Dig Deeper: Florida stands out as a literary hotspot, with five cities ranking among the top 100 best book destinations in the U.S. Pensacola leads the state at #4, recognized for its high concentration of bookstores and libraries, alongside its vibrant cultural events. Miami follows at #17, known for its rich literary resources and dynamic literary scene. Tampa, #60, and Orlando, #72, further underscore Florida’s strong literary presence, each offering unique cultural and literary experiences. Jacksonville, coming in at #100, rounds out the list, contributing to Florida’s diverse and thriving book culture.
As National Book Lovers Day approaches, bibliophiles nationwide are gearing up to celebrate their love for all things literary. There’s something magical about exploring a city’s literary landscape, and recent data from Explore reveals a surge in interest. Google searches for “Secondhand bookstores near me” have jumped 4,750% in the last month as readers seek book-inspired adventures just in time for the celebration.
These are the country’s top U.S. destinations for book enthusiasts, according to the report:
Lancaster, PA
New York, NY
Harrisburg, PA
Pensacola, FL
Poughkeepsie, NY
Portland, OR
Pittsburgh, PA
Birmingham, AL
Cincinnati, OH
St. Louis, MO
Featured Photo by Michael Newton on Unsplash
