About Vroman's

Welcome to Vroman's Bookstore!

California's Largest & Oldest Independent Bookstore. Open and serving the Pasadena community since 1894

• Vroman's in the News
• Vroman's 1894 Wine Bar
• Vroman's Art on the Stairwell

Our History

Vroman’s Bookstore was founded in 1894 by Adam Clark Vroman. Born in 1856 in La Salle, Illinois, Mr. Vroman moved to Pasadena, California in the late 1800s hoping the weather would improve his wife Esther’s health. Sadly, Esther died two years later, and the brokenhearted Mr. Vroman sold his beloved book collection to raise the capital to open a bookstore.

Mr. Vroman loved books and loved giving back to his community. He helped to rescue some of the old Franciscan missions from decay, helped establish the Southwest Museum (now part of the Autry Museum), and he was a great supporter of the Pasadena Public Library. There’s even a story of him loaning money to a competitor, and helping him establish credit with vendors, so that the man could start his own bookstore.

When Mr. Vroman died in 1916, he left the bookstore to longtime employees, one of whom was the great grandfather of the current owner.

Vroman’s Bookstore holds an important place in Southern California’s history. For many years, Vroman’s was the largest bookstore west of the Mississippi, and it continues to be the oldest and largest independent bookstore in Southern California. During World War II, Vroman’s donated and delivered books to Japanese Americans interned at nearby camps, returning on several occasions despite being fired upon by camp guards.

Mr. Vroman's legacy of philanthropy continues into the present day. Throughout the years, the store has supported a variety of causes and institutions through food drives, holiday gift drives, free HIV testing, pet adoption days, mentoring and support for local girl scout troops, donations for charity raffles, school book fairs, and the Vroman's Gives Back program. Vroman's Gives Back is a charitable program that donates a portion of customers’ purchases to local nonprofits, including public radio stations, arts centers, family services, and programs supporting literacy, the unhoused, and animal welfare. To date, Vroman's has donated over $849,524 on behalf of our customers. 

Vroman’s is also famous for its world class author signings and events. The store hosts over 400 free community events a year including children’s storytimes, craft classes, special launch parties, and has hosted such literary icons as Upton Sinclair, Octavia Butler, Ray Bradbury, Anne Rice, Salman Rushdie, Walter Mosely, Dr. Seuss, and Joan Didion while continuing on with contemporary authors like David Sedaris, Miranda July, Chuck Palahniuk, Ottessa Moshfegh, Roxanne Gay, and Khaled Hosseini.

Through the years, Vroman’s has continued to be an independently owned family business, consisting of our Colorado Boulevard location, two Vroman’s boutiques located at LAX airport, and an ecommerce site. In 2009, Vroman’s bought another beloved independent bookstore, Book Soup in West Hollywood, after its owner died and the store was in danger of closing.

With the news of our longtime owners, the Sheldon family, selling the store, Vroman’s hopes to find a new buyer who shares Mr. Vroman’s original values while continuing our contribution to Pasadena for years to come. We hope you visit us soon!

Vroman's Walk of Fame

In addition to our international network of authors, Vroman’s deepest connections stay local. To show our appreciation to our SoCal authors who have gone above and beyond in their partnership with Vroman’s, we created the Walk of Fame just off of Colorado Blvd to cement these authors as Pasadena institutions. Our current inductees include:

• Author Michael Connelly - 2016

• Author/Poet Luis Rodriguez - 2017

• Author/Journalist Naomi Hirahara - 2018

• Author Walter Mosley - 2019

• Author Leigh Bardugo -2022

Every year, we celebrate the occasion with a red carpet and daytime gala. Stay tuned for an announcement about our 2024 inductee. Who would you like to see join the Vroman's Walk of Fame next?