New Orleans isn't exactly short on ghosts, but some of the most persistent ones don't rattle chains. They live in the scent of decaying paper and the creak of floorboards. If you walk down Decatur Street, past the tourist traps selling neon-colored daiquiris and plastic beads, you'll find a green storefront that feels like a portal. This is Beckham's Bookshop. It is dusty. It is cramped. It is perfect.
Honestly, the French Quarter is changing so fast it’ll make your head spin, yet this place stays the same. While high-end boutiques move in and local landmarks turn into vacation rentals, Beckham's remains an anchor. It’s been around since 1967, which, in "New Orleans years," makes it a seasoned veteran of hurricanes, humidity, and the general chaos of the neighborhood. You don't go there for a bestseller you could grab at an airport; you go there to get lost in a stack of regional history or to find a 19th-century map that shouldn't have survived the swamp air.
The Reality of Stepping Into Beckham's Bookshop
It’s a two-story situation. Two floors packed with more than 50,000 books.
When you first walk in, the air changes. It’s cooler, sure, but it’s also heavier with that specific "old book" smell—a mix of lignin breaking down and decades of New Orleans moisture. The owners, Carey Beckham and Alton Cook, have curated something that feels less like a retail space and more like a private library that got slightly out of hand. There is no aggressive "customer service" here. You’re expected to browse. You’re expected to hunt.
The ground floor is a maze. Seriously, watch your shoulders. You’ll find sections on cooking—Cajun and Creole classics that haven't been in print since the Carter administration—and a massive selection of New Orleans history. This isn't just the "vampires and voodoo" stuff people buy on Royal Street. We're talking about deep dives into the drainage systems of the 1880s, the genealogy of the Islenos, and the complex civil rights history of the Deep South.
Classical Music and the Second Floor
One thing you’ll notice immediately is the music. It’s usually classical. It provides a strange, dignified soundtrack to the gritty reality of Decatur Street outside. If you head toward the back, there’s a staircase. Go up.
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The second floor is where things get truly niche. This is the domain of Liberty Vellum, their specialized bookbinding and restoration service. It’s also where the classical LPs live. In an era where vinyl is a trendy commodity, the collection at Beckham's Bookshop feels utilitarian and scholarly. They have thousands of records. It’s not about "finds" for a DJ set; it’s about finding a specific recording of a Brahms symphony that you didn't know you needed until you saw the cover art.
Why the "Used" Part of Used Books Matters Here
In a city like New Orleans, provenance is everything. People care where things come from. When you buy a book at Beckham's, there’s a high probability you’re holding something that sat on a mahogany shelf in a Garden District mansion for sixty years. Or maybe it survived Katrina in a dry attic in Gentilly.
Used bookstores are the recycling centers of a culture's soul.
Books here are priced fairly. You won't find many "bargain bins" filled with James Patterson paperbacks. Instead, you find value. You might find a first edition of a Walker Percy novel or a rare pamphlet from the 1984 World's Fair. The selection reflects the city’s eccentricities. There’s a lot of religion, a lot of philosophy, and a staggering amount of maritime history. Because, you know, the river is right there.
Facing the Modern French Quarter
Let's talk about the elephant in the room: survival.
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Running an independent bookstore in one of the most expensive real estate markets in the South is basically a marathon run through a swamp. Many other shops have folded. Faulkner House Books survives on its literary pedigree and "hidden" location in Pirate's Alley, but Beckham's is right there on the main drag of Decatur. It faces the noise. It faces the crowds.
The shop doesn't have a flashy Instagram strategy. It doesn't have a "reading nook" designed for selfies. It doesn't even have a particularly robust website. And yet, it thrives because it offers the one thing the internet cannot: the serendipity of the physical search. You can't "stumble" upon a book on Amazon. The algorithm only shows you what it thinks you already want. At Beckham's Bookshop, you might walk in looking for a map and walk out with a 1920s guide to French wines and a biography of Jean Lafitte.
The Expertise Behind the Counter
The people who work here actually know their stuff. If you ask for something specific, they don't just point to a computer screen. They point to a corner. They remember their inventory in a way that feels almost supernatural.
This is the E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) of the book world. Carey Beckham and his team are essentially curators of New Orleans' intellectual memory. They've seen the trends come and go. They saw the Anne Rice boom, the post-Katrina literary surge, and the current obsession with "true" Southern Gothic. Through it all, they’ve maintained a standard. They don't stock junk.
A Note on Condition
New Orleans is hard on paper. The humidity is a constant enemy. You might see some "foxing"—those little brown spots on old pages—but that's just the price of doing business in a sub-tropical climate. The shop does a great job of keeping things in good shape, but don't expect "pristine" in the way a sterile collector might. These books have lived lives. They’ve been through the heat.
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Planning Your Visit to Beckham's
If you’re planning to visit, don't rush. This isn't a ten-minute stop on a tour.
- Check the Hours: They generally open around 10:00 AM and stay open until 5:00 or 6:00 PM. But hey, it's New Orleans. Times can be fluid if there’s a parade or a massive storm.
- Bring a Tote Bag: You will buy more than you think. Those old hardbacks are heavy.
- Ask About the Records: Even if you aren't a classical music buff, the LP collection is worth a look just for the sheer scale of it.
- Be Respectful: It’s a quiet place. It’s a sanctuary.
The shop is located at 228 Decatur Street. It’s walkable from anywhere in the Quarter and a short streetcar ride from the Uptown area. If you’re staying at one of the big hotels on Canal, it’s a five-minute stroll.
The Future of New Orleans Book Culture
There is a fear that as the older generation of shop owners retires, these places will vanish. We’ve seen it with record stores and corner groceries. But Beckham's Bookshop feels resilient. It represents a side of New Orleans that refuses to be "Disney-fied." It’s messy, it’s dense, and it requires effort to navigate.
That effort is the whole point.
When you find that one specific book—the one that explains why the streets in the Quarter are named what they are, or the one with a handwritten note from 1945 inside the cover—you aren't just a tourist anymore. You’re a temporary custodian of the city's history.
Actionable Steps for the Literary Traveler
- Visit Liberty Vellum: If you have a family Bible or a beloved book that’s falling apart, inquire about their restoration services. It’s a dying art.
- Look for Local Imprints: Seek out books published by Pelican Publishing or smaller Louisiana presses. They often have the most accurate local flavor.
- Pair Your Visit: Grab a coffee at Envie or a drink at the Napoleon House afterward. Reading a "new" old book in a historic bar is the peak New Orleans experience.
- Support the Locals: Buy something. Anything. Even a small postcard or a used paperback helps keep the lights on and the classical music playing.
Beckham's Bookshop isn't just a store; it’s a bulwark against the vanishing of the real New Orleans. Go there before the world changes again. It’s waiting for you, right where it’s always been, between the river and the road.
To truly experience the literary side of the city, start at Beckham's on Decatur, then walk the six blocks to Faulkner House Books in Pirate’s Alley to see the contrast between a sprawling warehouse of knowledge and a curated literary shrine. These two stops provide the complete narrative of the city's relationship with the written word. If you have books of your own that need professional care, bring them to the shop to discuss restoration options with the binders on the second floor; they are among the few remaining experts in the region capable of traditional leather and cloth rebinding. Finally, check their specific New Orleans history section for out-of-print titles by authors like Lyle Saxon or Robert Tallant, which offer a 1930s-40s perspective on the city that you won't find in modern guidebooks.