Barnes & Noble is coming back to downtown Seattle after a six-year absence. The giant book retailer has other locations in the Seattle metro area but this will be its first store in the downtown core since 2020. With plans to open in spring 2026, the retailer’s comeback could be seen as a sign of revival for both downtown Seattle and brick-and-mortar bookstores.
Read on for all the details about where and when the new Barnes & Noble will open!
Barnes & Noble plans to open a brand-new, 14,000-square-foot store in April 2026. It will be located at 520 Pike Street, taking over the old North Face space that closed in May 2024. It’ll be a two-level bookstore and, notably, the company’s first downtown location since the Pacific Place shop shut its doors in early 2020. (Its West Seattle store had closed the year before.) The new Pike Street spot will join Barnes & Noble’s two other Seattle outposts in Northgate Station and the University District, where the chain took over University Bookstore’s trade book operations in July 2024.
The downtown Seattle addition is part of an ongoing growth spurt for the company. After years of shrinking, Barnes & Noble has opened or announced more than 60 stores since 2020. Just in 2024 alone, it debuted 57 new locations—more than the entire decade from 2009 to 2019— and it’s gearing up to add over 60 more in 2025. With about 650 bookstores currently open nationwide, the company is aiming for a network of more than 1,000.
Downtown Seattle Association president and CEO Jon Scholes said in a statement that the planned Barnes & Noble store is a positive sign for the area:
Barnes & Noble’s return to downtown Seattle is enormous. When a national retailer returns to downtown it’s an indicator of confidence in our center city and the strength of our retail trade area. And that thought is bolstered by other recent openings or expansions of strong brands like SuitSupply, Portland Leather Goods, Arc’teryx, Uniqlo and the soon-to-be open Carmine’s, among others. There is momentum in downtown with a record residential population, visitor numbers that are the strongest we’ve seen in six years and more public space amenities coming online that increase our vibrancy. It’s a great time to open shop in downtown Seattle.”
Beyond Seattle proper, Barnes & Noble still has a solid presence around the region, with stores in Silverdale, Lynnwood, Woodinville, Kirkland, Bellevue, Issaquah, and Tukwila. Although you can find several cozy independent bookstores at Pike Place Market, the upcoming Barnes & Noble on Pike Street will provide downtown Seattle with a large-format bookstore.
We’ll keep you updated on any and all grand opening events at the new Barnes & Noble this April!