Among the oldest independent bookstores in New Orleans is the fantastic Beckham’s Bookshop, a secondhand store that has supplied the French Quarter with books for five decades. Originally opened in 1967, Beckham’s has been operating out of its current location since 1979 by owners Carey Beckham and Alton Cook.

Inside the large space, customers will find more than 60,000 titles spanning multiple genres, spread out over two spacious floors. As its website states, almost no genre isn’t accounted for: history, music, law, cooking, fiction, philosophy, reference, art, biography, politics, religion/spirituality/occult, science, math, children’s, military, geography, transportation, home and gardening, adventure/exploration, sports, poetry, theater, nature, medicine/health, sociology, essays, parenting, gender/women/sex studies, psychology, foreign languages, graphic design, crafts, humor…pretty much any topic you can imagine.

Bechkam’s also carries new titles on New Orleans culture and the South. This summer, the store’s inventory expanded even further with the closing of nearby shop The Librairie. Both shops were operated by the same owners, so the Librairie’s inventory has been shifted to Beckham’s. 

Meanwhile, books aren’t the only thing shoppers will find at Beckham’s. Plenty of art prints are scattered about the shop, and there’s also a business-within-a-business aspect — Main Ray Records operates on the third floor and features thousands of classical and popular vintage vinyl titles.

Beckham’s Bookshop is open seven days a week and is located at 228 Decatur Street, New Orleans, Louisiana. According the store’s website, dogs and beer are welcome!

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