If your idea of a great afternoon includes wandering through rows of secondhand books, Massachusetts has a spot you need to know about.
The largest used bookstore in New England is packed with everything from mysteries and romance novels to cookbooks, children’s stories, biographies, and old favorites you may have forgotten about.
Since the inventory is always changing, every trip brings the chance to uncover something completely unexpected.
Better yet, used-book prices mean you can walk out with a stack without doing too much damage to your wallet.
So, where exactly is this massive bookstore hiding in Massachusetts?
Where Is It?
Used Book Superstore is located at 256 Cambridge Street in Burlington, Massachusetts.
It’s roughly a 25-minute drive from Boston, about 30 minutes from Cambridge, and around 55 minutes from Worcester without heavy traffic.
The store is close to I-95 and Route 3, making it an easy stop if you’re exploring Boston’s northern suburbs.
About
Used Book Superstore in Burlington is the kind of place where you can walk in looking for one paperback and somehow leave with enough books to fill an entire shelf.
The store bills itself as New England’s largest used bookstore, with a huge selection of secondhand books spread across an easy-to-browse retail space.
You’ll find shelves packed with fiction, mysteries, thrillers, romance, science fiction, fantasy, history, biographies, cookbooks, travel guides, and plenty of other genres.
There’s also a large children’s section, so this is a fun stop if you’re hunting for picture books, young adult titles, or inexpensive reads for growing bookworms.
One of the biggest reasons to visit is the sheer variety.
The inventory includes everything from popular bestsellers and familiar authors to older titles you may not spot at a typical chain bookstore.
Since the selection depends on books coming into the store, you never quite know what you’ll find on the shelves.
That makes browsing half the fun, especially if you enjoy tracking down an out-of-print title, completing a series, or grabbing a book simply because the cover caught your eye.
Prices are another major draw.
Because the store specializes in used books, you can stock up without paying new-book prices, which comes in handy when your reading list is getting slightly out of control.
You can also bring in your own used books to sell, giving those finished reads a chance to end up on someone else’s bookshelf.
The best way to explore Used Book Superstore is to give yourself time to wander.
This isn’t a quick shelf of secondhand titles tucked into the corner of another shop.
You’ll have rows and rows to check, and the constantly changing inventory means even repeat trips can turn up something completely different.
If you love the thrill of finding a book you weren’t even looking for, clear some room in your tote bag before you walk through the door.
Know Before You Go
Used Book Superstore in Burlington is open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.
Hours can change on holidays or for special events, so check the store’s current hours before making the drive.
Give yourself at least an hour to browse, especially if you want to dig through several genres instead of heading straight for one section.
Inventory changes constantly because you’re shopping secondhand books, so a title you spot today may be gone tomorrow.
If you plan to sell books, check the store’s current buying rules before visiting since accepted categories, condition requirements, and purchasing procedures can change.
Driving is the easiest way to get here, with the store on Route 3A and close to the I-95/Route 128 and Route 3 interchange.
You can easily turn your bookstore trip into a longer Burlington outing too.
Burlington Mall, one of the area’s biggest shopping destinations, is only a short drive away and has more than 190 stores and restaurants.
For some fresh air, head to Mary Cummings Park, a 200-plus-acre property spanning Burlington and Woburn with wooded walking trails, open fields, and wetlands.
You can also drive about 10 minutes to Lexington Battle Green, where the first shots of the Battles of Lexington and Concord were fired on April 19, 1775.
If you have more time, continue to Minute Man National Historical Park, which preserves important sites connected to the opening battles of the American Revolution.
One final tip: leave some extra space in the car.
Walking into New England’s largest used bookstore and promising yourself you’ll buy “just one book” is a dangerous little game.
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