Dark Carnival

Top choice in Berkeley


Rumor has it this is the oldest science-fiction, fantasy and horror bookstore in the country. Whether true or not, those who love this sort of genre of literature will enter this explosion of books and experience a spontaneous combustion of happiness. We gotta stress: it's all controlled chaos, but half the joy is losing yourself in the stacks.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Berkeley attractions

1. First Church of Christ, Scientist

0.87 MILES

Bernard Maybeck’s impressive 1910 church uses concrete and wood in its blend of arts-and-crafts, Asian and Gothic influences. Maybeck was a professor of…

2. People’s Park

0.91 MILES

This park, just east of Telegraph Ave, is a marker in local history as a political battleground between residents and the city and state government in the…

3. Telegraph Avenue

1.04 MILES

Telegraph Ave has traditionally been the throbbing heart of studentville in Berkeley, the sidewalks crowded with undergrads, postdocs and youthful…

5. University of California, Berkeley

1.19 MILES

'Cal' is one of the country's top universities, California's oldest university (1866), and home to 40,000 diverse, politically conscious students. Next to…

6. Sather Gate

1.25 MILES

The frenetic energy buzzing from the university’s Sather Gate on any given day is a mixture of youthful posthippies reminiscing about days before their…

7. Campanile

1.31 MILES

Officially called Sather Tower, the Campanile was modeled on St Mark’s Basilica in Venice. The 307ft spire offers fine views of the Bay Area, and at the…

8. Bancroft Library

1.36 MILES

The Bancroft houses, among other gems, the papers of Mark Twain, a copy of Shakespeare’s folios and a diary from the Donner Party. Its small public…