You probably don’t immediately think of California’s wine country as a vibrant place for bibliophiles but both the Napa and Sonoma Valleys are rich with literary history and sites to see. There are boutique, independent bookstores to pursue and estates of iconic authors to visit. There are two state parks named after authors within the region and there’s even a wine library. 

Book lovers can easily spend a few days rolling through the vineyards spending a deliciously bookish time without even visiting a winery. Here are eleven delightfully bookish places to visit in California’s wine country. 

11 PERFECT BOOKISH PLACES TO VISIT IN CALIFORNIA’S WINE COUNTRY

LITERARY SITES

Jack London Historic State Park
Glen Ellen, CA

You can spend an entire day on the ranch estate of legendary writer, Jack London, located in the small hamlet of Glen Ellen on the northern end of the Sonoma Valley. The Call of the Wild and White Fang author lived here for the last five years of his life where he spent time writing and experimenting with inventive farming techniques that were well ahead of his time. 

Start at the House of Happy Walls. This was the home London’s wife, Charmian, built after his death and it now doubles as a museum and visitor’s center. 

Highlights of Jack London Historic State Park include the ruins of Wolf House–the 15,000 square foot mansion that was near completion when it burned to the ground in the late summer of 1913, London’s gravesite, and the cottage he and Charmian lived in.

Visitors can also enjoy unique and innovative farm sites such as the Pig Palace–a panopticon pig pen designed by London–cement silos that were well ahead of their time, and a lake (presently more like a marshy pond) that London dammed himself.

The Jack London State Historic Park is located roughly 50 miles north of San Francisco in Glen Ellen, CA. Admission varies but the typical cost is $10 per vehicle. It is open daily, year round with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. The park is open from 9am-5pm, museum 10am-5pm, and the cottage from 12pm-4pm.

M.F.K Fisher Last House
Glen Ellen, CA

If you’ve got extra time in Glen Ellen, make sure to visit Last House, where the iconic food writer, M.F.K. Fisher, spent the last twenty years of her life living. She designed this three room abode with the help of her architect friend, David Pleydell-Bouverie, who owned the large property and lived in his own nearby estate.

Here, among her Chinese-red walls and enormous bathroom with walls covered in artwork, Fisher wrote thirteen books. She enjoyed the views of the Sonoma Valley out her window and entertained friends like Maya Angelou, Julia Child, and James Beard. 

Guided tours of the home are typically available twice a month and are well worth the time. The tours are one hour long and there is a suggested donation of $25/person though no one will be turned away. Last House is located on the Bouverie Preserve at 13815 CA-12, Glen Ellen, CA 95442, roughly 50 miles north of San Francisco. 

Robert Louis Stevenson State Park
Calistoga, CA

Bookish places to visit in California’s wine country continue over on the northern end of Napa Valley you’ll find the Robert Louis Stevenson State Park in Calistoga. Named for the bohemian author of great novels like Treasure Island and Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde it’s where Stevenson took an extended summer honeymoon in 1880.

He, new wife, Fanny Van de Grift Osbourne, and her son, Lloyd (who was attending school in nearby Sonoma), squatted in an abandoned mining cabin on Mount St. Helena so Stevenson could focus on his health in a better climate. He wrote The Silverado Squatters about his experience during this time. 

Take a one mile trail up to the Stevenson Memorial, erected in 1911, that sits at the location of the long gone cabin. The trailhead is located across CA-29 from the parking lot that is not too far from the entrance of the state park. 

Robert Louis Stevenson Museum
St. Helena, CA

Robert Louis Stevenson spent a great deal of time in California and a part of his personal collection can be found at a quaint museum in St. Helena in the heart of wine country. The museum holds Stevenson’s archives that includes such items as original manuscripts and personal letters as well as his personal library. 

Additionally, it features memorabilia from Stevenson and his family such as toy soldiers he played with as a boy, a lock of his hair, personal jewelry, family portraits, furniture, drawings, and a scale model of the cabin the newlywed couple honeymooned in on Mount St. Helena. 

The museum is free to visit (a $10 donation is suggested) and is open Tuesday-Saturday from 12pm-4pm. It’s located at 1490 Library Lane, St. Helena, CA 94574.

St. Helena Public Library
St. Helena, CA

Adjacent to the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum, the St. Helena Public Library is worth a stop for bibliophiles and wine lovers alike as it holds the collection of the Napa Valley Wine Library Association. 

The Association was founded in 1963 by a group of individuals including M.F.K. Fisher and James Beard who were dedicated to preserving the education of winemaking and wine information. 

Explore the shelves of the collection that features winegrowing and winemaking manuals, books on wine education, a wine label collection, and more. Outside, you’ll find “Barney’s Backyard,” a small vineyard planted in the year 2000 named to honor the association’s first president, Dr. Bernard L. Rhodes. 

The Napa Valley Wine Library at the St. Helena Public Library is free to visit. It’s located at 1492 Library Lane, St. Helena, CA 94574. It’s open 10am-6pm Monday-Friday, 12pm-5pm Saturday, and closed on Sunday. 

BOOKSTORES

There wouldn’t be a good amount of bookish places to visit in California’s wine country without books. There are plenty of bookstores to visit in the midst of the country’s best wineries. While you’re in between tastings take some time to wander their aisles. From robust children’s sections to new and used fiction to cookbooks and travel guides, there’s something for everyone within wine country’s bookstores. 

Readers’ Books
Sonoma, CA

Just off of the historic Sonoma square, Readers’ Books has been welcoming customers since 1991. They have a great selection of both new and used books that includes a large fiction section, a lovely children’s collection, and a lot of cookbooks. The staff here is also particularly friendly and helpful. 

Readers’ Books is located at 130 East Napa Street, Sonoma, CA 95476. It’s open Monday-Saturday from 9am-7pm and Sunday from 11am-6pm. 

Copperfields Napa
Napa, CA

The Napa outpost of Copperfield’s Books is smaller than some of its counterparts but still has a lovely selection of books and gift items to choose from. Shop their children’s selection and their travel guides or look for a wine themed trinket to take home.

Copperfield’s Napa is located at 1300 First Street, Napa, CA and is open daily from 10am-7pm. 

Napa Bookmine
Napa, CA

While Napa Bookmine offers both new and used books this is the place to come if you are particularly looking to wander through a vast selection of used books. They also host a wide variety of events that include author talks, book clubs, and children’s events. 

Napa Bookmine is located at 1625 2nd Street, Napa, CA 94559 and is open Monday-Saturday from 9am-8pm and 9am-6pm on Sunday. 

Napa Bookmine at Oxbow Market
Napa, CA

In the midst of the hustle and bustle of the very popular Oxbow Public Market, you’ll find an outpost of the Napa Bookmine. Shop books and gifts in between market stalls offering wines, olive oils, spices, and an array of culinary delights. 

Oxbow Public Market is located at 610 1st Street, Napa, CA 94559. Napa Bookmine is open daily from 9am-7:30pm.

Main Street Bookmine
St. Helena, CA

This tiny and quaint bookstore in the center of St. Helena (the third location from the friends at Napa Bookmine) offers a lovely respite from the culinary delights and vineyards that surround it. There are always new and recently released fiction and nonfiction books stocks and there’s an adorable children’s corner towards the front of this pint sized store. Well worth a visit. 

Main Street Bookmine is located at 1315 Main Street, St. Helena, CA 94574 and is open daily from 10am-4pm with extended hours until 5pm on Friday and Saturday. 

Copperfield’s Calistoga
Calistoga, CA

In the center of the main drag in Calistoga on the northern end of Napa Valley, Copperfield’s offers a large variety of books to peruse. I’ve always especially enjoyed their sale books (that can range from children’s books to cookbooks) and their themed displays at the front of the store. 

Copperfield’s Calistoga is located at 1330 Lincoln Avenue and is open daily from 10am-6pm.

Those are all the best bookish places to visit in California’s wine country! Have you been to any of these spots? Let us know in the comments.