Profile: Prospero's Books

Step into the stacks of books at Prospero’s on 39th.

For any Kansas City local, one absolute staple of 39th Street and it’s charm since 1997 has been Prospero’s books. It’s hard to miss this beloved gem on the corner of 39th and Bell St., with its three floors stacked with over 50,000 books at any given moment.

Prospero’s wasn’t always the bookstore it is today: it’s the product of over 24 years of hard work combined with a deep love of books. Over the years lots of businesses on 39th Street have come and gone, but Prospero’s has prospered. They had much humbler beginnings in a smaller space across the street, and when they had the opportunity to buy their current building they didn’t know how they would ever fill the space. But as the years went on, other small surrounding bookstores closed, leaving them the go to spot for buying, selling and trading books. They pride themselves on being one of the few places left in Kansas City where you can still bring in used and well loved books to sell and share with the next reader.

A quick browse through Prospero’s shelves and you’ll find over 80 categories to choose from: anything ranging from a just released Bestseller to a well loved Classic. In addition to books, Prosperos also has CD’s, DVD’s, and records. In true form, they are so much more than a bookstore- over the years the owners have turned their attention to supporting the local arts community. They have hosted over 2,500 live shows throughout the years, creating many fond memories– like the time their own kids slept between the book stacks until 10pm during a show.

Prospero’s has continued to thrive in Kansas City even in an age where things like ebooks or podcasts could make a bookstore obsolete, which Prospero’s attributes to their loyal Kansas City customers. For them, like most businesses, the pandemic was a time of pivoting- libraries were closed, bookstores were closed, but Prospero’s continued to serve Kansas City by offering curbside book pick ups.

Now that you can go back into the shop, it’s like rediscovering the space all over again. It's no secret that this bookstore is an incredible place unlike anywhere else in the Kansas City area. The bookshelves you see on the main floor were salvaged from the old plaza library when it was torn down, the newer shelves in the basement were made by hand by the owners or volunteers and have since been covered by patrons in poetry, signatures, and special little notes. What really makes them special, though, is an intangible quality, something you can’t find at Barnes and Noble or any run of the mill bookstore. Every time you walk in the door, you’ll find one of the owners, Will and Tom, behind the counter, who know their customers on a first name basis, love good conversations, and are always trying to help steer you towards a good read.

Currently they’re open Monday-Saturday 10:30am-10pm, and Sundays 11am-6pm. Come in and experience some of Prospero’s magic first hand and let the next book find you.