In the greatest fantasy stories, there are mysterious paths, and signs that lead the astute traveler to hidden lands. One such place is Librarium, a bookstore surrounded by the foliage outside of East Chatham, New York.

We were in the area for a friend’s wedding. I was there with my girlfriend, who also reviewed it, in a more timely manner than I.

This bookstore is why I was willing to drive onto someone’s ranch in Arizona when I saw a bookstore advertised there on Yelp. Librarium is in a house on a large plot of land just outside Chatham. We didn’t go looking for it—we were leaving the area, about to turn onto NY–295 W, when we saw the sign that said it was nearby. We pulled up into the parking area, which is just a grassy driveway near a barn.

Then we had to knock on the door, because this is also someone’s home.

It is exactly what a used bookstore ought to be: rambling but well-organized, occasionally having to duck through tight openings, and filled with old books.

I wouldn’t be surprised if it occasionally blinks in and out of existence, so you might want to call ahead first.