Jeff C.
Yelp
My wife and I went up to Ojai over the long Labor Day weekend and decided to spend part of Monday walking around town. It was hot that day, over 100 degrees, but we still wanted to take in the main drag. We stopped for ice cream and while we were there noticed a big map on the wall. That's where we saw Bart's Books marked, and it caught our attention. I pulled it up on Yelp and saw it described as the world's largest outdoor bookstore, so we figured we had to check it out.
When we got there, it really did feel like something special. There were books everywhere, covering every subject you could imagine. The place was busy, but not so crowded that we couldn't move around or browse comfortably. People working there were friendly, and the whole store was organized in a way that made sense. It didn't feel chaotic even with the sheer number of titles they have.
The only drawback was the weather. Standing outside in triple-digit heat with no fans made it tough to stay as long as we wanted. They did have a small air-conditioned room with some of the rarer and more expensive books, and we ducked in there for a break, but we probably only lasted about twenty minutes overall before the heat pushed us along.
What makes the place really charming is how it's set up for the community. They even have shelves right outside the store that are available 24 hours a day. You can pick up a book at any time, drop the money in a slot, and head on your way. That kind of honor system is rare now and it says a lot about the spirit of the place.
Even though the heat cut our visit short, we were glad we stopped by. Bart's Books is exactly the kind of spot that gives Ojai its character, and I'd recommend it to anyone who loves books or just enjoys finding something out of the ordinary.