Far from your average corporate bookstore, Parnassus Books feels homey, personal, and full of local spirit.
The shelves house a wide variety of reading materials for the hungry book lover: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, children’s literature, IndieBound bestsellers, cookbooks, Pacific Northwest and Alaskan Native arts and culture, local history and ecology, and more. Tucked in between the stacks you’ll find everything from greeting cards and journals to reading glasses, jewelry, and even chocolate bars. Each shelf, each book seems comfortable here – cozy. Here, book and reader are in community with one another, and, even on the rainiest Ketchikan day this little bookstore is full of warmth and light.
Ketchikan’s much-beloved Lillian Ferrence opened the store in 1985; it was originally housed in the upstairs of the historic Creek Street’s Star Building, once a dance hall in Ketchikan’s very own red light district. The store transferred ownership to Maggie Freitag in 2004 and moved to a larger, street-level storefront on Stedman Street—just a few blocks from the docks—in 2012.
You’ll often find Maggie behind the counter, assisting customers in finding that longed-for title. And, if you become a regular of Parnassus Books, you’ll quickly learn that Maggie isn’t just the proprietor of a bookstore; she’s a curator of words.
Parnassus Books is a must-see local business that truly understands the importance of the relationship between a bookstore and its community. You’ll be greeted by a friendly face and find a comfortable environment and literary expertise. The doors are open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday–Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
