Our guide to some of the most treasured bookstores in the country—from California to Alaska to Minnesota.

If you’re ever feeling lost in a new city, walking into a local bookstore will help anchor you. Far more than just a place of transaction, a good bookstore can serve as a sanctuary, a community space, and a portal into the town it calls home—all thanks to the dedicated owners and staffers who stock the shelves, scribble down recommendations, and welcome in readers, both young and old, through their doors.

This National Independent Bookstore Day, we’re celebrating 20 of those special places, spanning everywhere from Anchorage to St. Croix to Detroit . But while the holiday may only be marking its 12th year, many of these institutions call back to a long and storied legacy in American history .…