A Bookstore With A Spooky Specialty Is Coming To Old Town This Fall

ALEXANDRIA, VA – Alexandrians seeking a good scare will have more options when a Black-owned science fiction and horror bookstore opens this fall.

Long Dark House is busy preparing its space at 1510 King Street in Old Town for a planned September 1 opening. There’s a countdown on the bookseller’s website for potential visitors who want to gin up the suspense. (They’re also hiring!)

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Owner Chanthal Harris writes on the shop’s website that Long Dark House will specialize in “horror and science fiction, with a carefully curated selection of other strange stories.” She also says she hopes the shop will become a community gathering place.

“More than a bookstore, Long Dark House is intended to be a literary hub and third space for the Alexandria community ... a place where readers can browse shelves, attend events, join book clubs, discover new authors, buy gifts/chocolates, and spend time among people who take comfort in the unconventional,” she writes.

The nascent shop has been organizing pop-ups around the region through the spring and summer, most recently at a Washington, DC, farmer’s market. Several more are planned in Alexandria ahead of the store’s opening, including two evenings at the Hummingbird Bar and Kitchen.

Check out the store’s membership plans and early bird specials here and keep an eye out for something spooky on King Street.