6 years after closing, Barnes & Noble bookstore returns to Baltimore with location set for Harbor East
Six years after closing its last Baltimore location, a Barnes & Noble bookstore is coming back to the city with a location set to open in Harbor East in the fall of 2026.
The bookstore will take over a vacancy left by the Oceanaire Seafood Room, which closed its doors at 801 Aliceanna Street in March.
Tim O'Donald, president of Harbor East, said the area has been looking to add a Barnes & Noble for years.
"Introducing a bookstore to our entertainment and retail lineup has been a thoughtfully planned, long-term goal for us," O'Donald said.
According to Vice President of Store Planning and Design Janine Flanigan, the Harbor East Barnes & Noble will span over 10,000 square feet and feature books, toys, games, gifts and more.
Baltimore has been without a Barnes & Noble for about six years, after a location at Power Plant closed during the COVID-19 pandemic in August 2020. The Power Plant location opened in 1998. The company called it "one of the most distinctive bookstores of the United States," in announcing the closing, saying those attributes made it expensive to run and maintain.
The company currently has stores in every state, with about 600 locations across the U.S.
According to our partners at the Baltimore Banner, the company plans to open 60 more stores in the next few years.
In March, the company announced plans to open a Barnes & Noble in Lutherville Station in late 2026 or early 2027, according to the Banner. The Lutherville location will include a bookstore and cafe.
