Entry No. 53 — the Pittsburgh file — filed under: used books
Amazing Books and Records
The Forbes Avenue store calls itself Pittsburgh's largest independent used book and used record shop, and its posted hours are the tell: Sunday through Thursday 10am to 10pm, Friday 10am to sunset, then dark for twenty-five hours before reopening Saturday one hour after sunset and running to midnight. That's Sabbath observance rendered as a schedule, and it means the store's busiest social hour is a Saturday night that starts whenever the sun says so — 9:30pm in July and August, considerably earlier in December. On Thursdays 6 to 10pm and again during the Saturday post-sunset window, they hand browsers cold beer for free, no purchase required, ID at the door, 21-plus. There's a second location downtown at the base of One Oxford Centre keeping ordinary daytime hours for people who need a book before 5pm. The New York Times wrote it up in 2019, which the shop has not stopped mentioning, reasonably.
→ Three more vintage, record & maker shops in Pittsburgh — never the same twice
The story
Amazing Books and Records opened in April 2013 and now runs two Pittsburgh storefronts under owner Eric Ackland: the big one at 5858 Forbes Avenue in Squirrel Hill, and a downtown branch at 320 Smithfield Street, at the base of One Oxford Centre. The shop bills itself as Pittsburgh's largest independent used bookstore and stacks used vinyl alongside the books; more than fifteen thousand used titles are listed online, with new books handled through a bookshop.org partnership. The New York Times wrote it up in August 2019, with the Post-Gazette, Table Magazine and CBS Pittsburgh following.
The Squirrel Hill hours are the store's real signature, and they aren't a gimmick. It runs Sunday 10am to 9pm and Monday through Thursday 10am to 10pm, then closes Friday at sunset and stays dark for twenty-five hours to honor the Sabbath, reopening Saturday one hour after sunset and trading until midnight — 11pm during standard time. Because sunset moves, so does the store: a July or August Saturday doesn't open until around 9:30pm, while a December one is open and busy while the rest of Forbes Avenue is shutting down. The downtown branch keeps ordinary retail hours instead, Sunday 10:30 to 4, Monday and Tuesday to 6, Wednesday through Saturday to 7.
Then there's the beer. Thursdays from 6 to 10pm and again throughout the Saturday post-sunset window, the Squirrel Hill store hands out free beer — no purchase necessary, valid ID absolutely necessary, 21 and over. The loyalty program suggests someone did the math and decided turnover beats margin: a free used book or record up to ten dollars with every three items, and thirty percent off after your tenth in-store purchase. They buy books weekday afternoons, and will come to your house if the collection is big enough.
What it's like
Look up the actual sunset for your date before you leave, because the Saturday opening slides by three hours across the year. Arrive fifteen minutes after and the store is filling with people who have been waiting all day; the beer is free and unforced, handed over with an ID check and no obligation to buy anything. What follows is a bookstore at 10pm that feels like a party nobody organized — browsing at volume, aisles of used books and vinyl, conversations across the shelves. It runs to midnight and the last half hour is the good part. Thursday 6-to-10 gets the same beer with a calmer room. If you just want a book on a Tuesday afternoon, go downtown to Smithfield Street instead.
The move: Show up at the Squirrel Hill store on a Saturday about fifteen minutes after sunset, take the free beer, and browse until they close at midnight — set a rule that you each find a book for the other under ten dollars and read the first page aloud in the aisle before buying.
📍 Before you go Squirrel Hill: 412-421-7000. Sun–Thu 10am–10pm; Fri 10am to sunset; Sat from one hour after sunset until midnight (11pm during standard time). Look up actual sunset for your date — the Saturday opening slides by hours across the year, and in winter you're going in the dark by 6pm. Free beer Thursdays 6–10pm and during the Saturday night window; valid ID, 21+. Downtown branch at 320 Smithfield St (412-471-1899) runs normal hours and does not do the beer.
- 📍 Pittsburgh
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 5858 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217
Hours: Added 2026-08-26 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Jerry's Records — Four blocks south at 2136 Murray, a million used records up a flight of stairs — it closes at 6pm Saturday, which lines up neatly with waiting out the sunset before this place opens.
- Everyday Noodles — Directly across Forbes at 5875, with the noodle-pulling and dumpling-pleating visible through glass — dinner there ends about when the Saturday sunset window begins.
- Lipstyck Lab — Down Murray at 2713 1/2, where a licensed cosmetologist walks you through blending your own lipstick — a booked, hands-on afternoon to set against an unstructured night of browsing.
More weird in Pittsburgh
Good to know
What time does the Squirrel Hill store actually open on Saturday?
One hour after sunset — around 9:30pm in July and August, considerably earlier in winter — and it runs to midnight, or 11pm during standard time. Check the sunset time for your specific date; there is no fixed opening hour.
Why is it closed Friday night through Saturday?
The Squirrel Hill location closes for twenty-five hours from Friday night through Saturday night to honor the Sabbath. The downtown branch is unaffected and keeps normal hours.
Is the free beer really free?
Yes — no purchase necessary, but a valid ID is, and it's 21-plus. Thursdays 6 to 10pm and during the Saturday after-sunset window, at Squirrel Hill only. The downtown store doesn't do it.
Can I sell them my books?
They buy Monday through Friday, noon to 6pm. Under six boxes needs no appointment — just bring them. For anything larger they'll do a house call; call 412-471-1899 to arrange it.
Is there any reason to go downtown instead?
Timing. The Smithfield Street branch, at the base of One Oxford Centre, opens 10:30am and closes between 4pm and 7pm depending on the day, which makes it the version of this store you can visit on a lunch break.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site
last checked: 2026-08-26