About Us

Old Firehouse Books

Northern Colorado’s Largest Independent Bookstore

 

Location, Hours, and Contact Details

Store Location:

232 Walnut St.
Fort Collins, CO 80524
Click here for a map

Regular Store Hours:

Sun-Wed: 10am-6pm

Thur-Sat: 10am-7pm

Closed at 4pm April 8-11

Trade Desk Hours:

Mon-Fri: 10am-12pm

Sat-Sun: 10am-4pm

No trade from April 8-11

Contact Us:

Phone: (970) 484-7898
General questions or queries: info@oldfirehousebooks.com
To reach our events and marketing manager or our consignment coordinator: events@oldfirehousebooks.com
If you are a self-pubbed or small-press author inquiring about having an event at the Firehouse, please fill out this form

 


Return Policy 

Whether you bought someone a book they already have or just bought the wrong book all together, we are happy to offer a couple options for you in case you need to return something. 

Returns made within 24 hours of purchase:

Books/items returned with in 24 hours of purchase will receive a full refund. Items must be in pristine condition and still have all relevant tags and/or packaging. A receipt is required when making a return.

Returns made after 24 hours:

Books/items returned 24 hours after purchase can be exchanged for in-store credit. The item must be in pristine condition and still have all relevant tags and/or packaging. A receipt is required when making a return. Returns must be made within 30 days of purchase. 


Business to Business Orders and Vendor Services

Old Firehouse Books is happy to facilitate business to business orders for books. Please contact Allison at orders@oldfirehousebooks.com for assistance. We are also available for hire as a book vendor at author events not hosted by our store. Please contact our events department at events@oldfirehousebooks.com for assistance. 


Parking

We know all too well that parking in Old Town can be a challenge. Here are the parking options near our store. 

- Free two-hour street parking around store

- Civic Center Parking Structure

- Old Town Parking Structure

- Firehouse Alley Parking Structure

***Please be aware: Spots marked “For Firehouse Tenants Only” are for employees and residents of the firehouse building only. The spot marked “Firehouse Books Shipping and Receiving” is for employees of Old Firehouse Books only. Parking in any of these spots will get you towed.***


If you have questions that were not answered on this page, please contact us.


 


Store History

Old Firehouse Books began its life as the Book Rack of Fort Collins, started in 1980 by Bill Hawk. It was a used paperback store, built on trading books. Over time, Bill's wife, Maggie, and their daughter Marta joined the store. The store grew over twenty years, always carrying one of the finest collections of used titles in Fort Collins. In 2001, the store sold to Susie Wilmer and Dick Sommerfeld, long time Book Rack owners in Cheyenne and Greeley. The present owners increased the used stock and began ordering new books. The store moved to 1801 S. College in the spring of 2002, thanks to many hours of work by staff and volunteers. Even with all the changes, the store has never lost sight of Bill Hawk's goal to have lots of fun while selling books in Northern Colorado. The ultimate mission is creating a local store that reflects Fort Collins' unique lifestyle. In 2009, the store moved into the old historic firehouse, a Fort Collins landmark. In honor of the building in which the store is now located, the name was changed to Old Firehouse Books. With more space, the store is better able to hold author signings, book club meetings, and other community events. 

We sell new and used books and many other items such as cards, t-shirts, and bookish gifts. We strive to maintain a large and diverse selection of books on our shelves, with everything from fiction to nonfiction to children's books. You can browse online and if there is a book we don’t have that you want, let us know and we can almost certainly order it at no extra cost to you. If you are excited about a book that's not out yet, you can pre-order two or more weeks before its release date, and you'll save 15%!

Our staff is friendly and well-read. Collectively, we have knowledge of a vast array of genres, including science fiction, fantasy, mystery, young adult, graphic novels, and various non-fiction subjects. We love books, and we love to help you pick the perfect one.

We take pride in being a part of both the Fort Collins community and the independent bookselling community. We are members of the Better Business Bureau, Mountains and Plains Independent Booksellers Association, American Booksellers Association, IndieBound, and Be Local Northern Colorado. Our store regularly partners with other Fort Collins organizations and businesses to provide the best service we can to our patrons.

To get a virtual tour courtesy of CSU’s Architectural Virtual Library, click here.