Parnassus Books

Sitting on historic Route 6A in Yarmouthport, Parnassus Book Service is the epitome of a small, independent Cape Cod business. Over its 60-year history, dedicated fans have frequented its eclectic rows of books. One Google reviewer called it “the bookstore you imagine all book stores to be.”

Where is the Parnassus Book Store Located?

You can find Parnassus Books at 220 Route 6A in Yarmouth Port. A former grocery store, the old three-story building is located near the fork with Summer Street. Look for the outdoor overhang which houses even more books, mostly paperbacks. The public is welcome to browse these books any time of day or night. If one catches your fancy, payment is based on the honor system.

One other piece of geographical trivia which ties this establishment’s sense of place with a neat ribbon: It’s just down the street from legendary Cape author and illustrator Edward Gorey’s house.

Types of Books

Though you can find all the latest shelf-hoggers at Parnassus Books, the store has always specialized in used and rare gems. True to the Cape Cod tradition, you’ll find a sizable genealogy section featuring notable area families.

History, both on a global and a Cape-centric scale, is a subject many of the books cover. There are hard-to-find pressings of classics and peculiarities. Some of the most sought-after titles are sorted by author like a traditional bookstore, however the rest are sorted broadly by subject.

The store also issues specialty catalogues of books under varying topics, including Cape-themed topics and a Maritime category. All of these special catalogues are available for purchase on the Parnassus Books website.

Parnassus is noted for their personalized service, so if the seemingly never-ending stacks intimidate you, ask a staff member for a suggestion.

Parnassus Book Store History

Founders Ben and Ruth Muse always adored books. They were about to move from New York to Virginia in the mid-50s, when they made a stop on Cape Cod to visit Ben’s mother. Within a week, they bought a house here instead.

The couple moved their mail-order (book?) service to Sherman Square in Hyannis in 1956. Four years later they relocated to the 19th-century Yarmouth Port building the business still occupies to this day.

The outdoor overhang on the right side of the building was originally built to house excess stock. But it quickly became yet another means to bond with the community: Visitors to this 24/7 section of Parnassus Books leave money for their selections under the door. Most of the outdoor books are paperbacks selling for $1 or less.

Constructed in the early 1800s, the bookstore was originally Knowles General Store. In business for more than 100 years, the general store was so established that, when the couple first transformed it into a bookshop, some older customers would ask where they were stashing the old appliances. A “noon whistle” on top of the structure was used to alert workingmen nearby when lunchtime had arrived.

Ben Muse reportedly picked nearly every book sold in the store until his passing in 2012, six years after his wife died. Ben majored in Russian Literature while attending Columbia University and specialized in picking rare Russian books for the store. The Muses had a reputation for being neighborly, even to their competition in other towns.

Now Parnassus Books is run by the second and third generation of family, including Ruth and Ben’s daughter Sarah Romano who’s worked there for more than 35 years.

Why “Parnassus?”

According to one employee, Ben Muse named the store after Mount Parnassus where, according to Greek Mythology, the nine muses dwelled: Clio, Thalia, Erato, Euterpe, Polyhymnia, Calliope, Terpsichore, Urania and Melpomene. Reportedly, the longtime bookseller “always considered himself the 10th muse.”