The 12 Most Popular Libraries and Bookstores on Earth

Libraries and bookstores are havens for avid readers. From the gigantic McAllen Public Library in Texas to Benjamin Franklin’s library in Philadelphia, these buildings attract bookworms from around the world. But not every establishment dedicated to reading is created equal. According to Preply, these are the most beloved libraries and bookstores worldwide.

To create this list, data analysts from the language learning site analyzed ratings on Tripadvisor and Google reviews. They then calculated each destination’s rating on both platforms to come up with an overall average score.      

As the list below shows, Daunt Books in London earns the No.1 spot with a score of 96.58 out of 100. The bookstore is famous for organizing its inventory by country, regardless of subject. It’s also an architectural marvel, with its intricate woodwork and a glass ceiling. The Edwardian design lures tourists from various countries. If you’re in the UK, you can visit Daunt Books on Marylebone High Street in the nation’s capital.

Book lover who plan to visit Buenos Aires, Argentina, should consider going to the second most popular bookshop on the list: El Ateneo Grand Splendid (95.9). This extravagant building has high ceilings that makes shoppers feel like they’ve entered a grand ball. Established in 1919, the bookstore used to be a theater, and its unique history makes it popular with fans of books and architecture alike.

The State Library Victoria in Melbourne, Australia, (95.21) is one of the oldest in the country. The mid-19th-century library is most famous for its La Trobe Reading Room, a large, octagonal space with a domed ceiling. London’s British Museum and the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., are some inspirations behind the La Trobe Reading Room’s design.

A couple of locations from the U.S. made the list. The most popular is Los Angeles’s The Last Bookstore, which earned fifth place. Portland, Oregon’s Powell’s Books comes in eighth. However, neither store appears on Mental Floss’s list of the best bookstores in all 50 states.

The most popular libraries and bookstores worldwide are as follows: 

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