Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
1 day ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
2 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
3 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
4 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Canada Ontario Toronto The Monkey's Paw

The Monkey's Paw

A book collector's dream, this Toronto bookstore has the world's first "Biblio-Mat," a random book vending machine.

Toronto, Ontario

Added By
Donia Varghese
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The Bilio-Mat   Courtesy The Monkey's Paw
The Bilio-Mat   Courtesy The Monkey's Paw
Inside the bookstore   Courtesy The Monkey's Paw
Inside the bookstore   Courtesy The Monkey's Paw
The Monkey’s Paw   Courtesy The Monkey's Paw
  Courtesy The Monkey's Paw
  newexperienceaddict / Atlas Obscura User
The Bibliomat machine   kimikat / Atlas Obscura User
  kimikat / Atlas Obscura User
The infamous Biblio-Mat in 2021   Cooth / Atlas Obscura User
The Monkey’s Paw   Courtesy The Monkey's Paw
Storefront of the Monkey’s Paw   inspector pinto / Atlas Obscura User
Biblio-Mat at Monkey’s Paw   45rpm / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

All of the books lining the shelves of Stephen Fowler’s bookstore are ones you couldn’t possibly find anywhere else.

Fowler opened The Monkey’s Paw in March 2006 and since then, it has been a haven for antiquarians, complete with medical drawings on the wall and a stuffed crow on a typewriter.

The unusual store, named after a horror short story by author W.W. Jacobs, has old books that range from topics as diverse as the art of predicting female character traits according to breast shape to Canadian Egg Laying Contests.

Fowler selects each book to fit these categories: the beautiful, the arcane, the macabre and the absurd. Monkey’s Paw also has a custom-made Biblio-Mat, a vending machine that will dispense a randomly selected vintage volume when a token is inserted. Tokens can be purchased from the checkout for $5 apiece.

Related Tags

Bookstores Antiquities Collections Shops Purveyors Of Curiosities Repositories Of Knowledge

Know Before You Go

The entrance is four buildings in from Havelock Street.

Community Contributors

Added By

Donia Varghese

Edited By

Blindcolour, nicholasmoreau, Enorama, mainedee...

  • Blindcolour
  • nicholasmoreau
  • Enorama
  • mainedee
  • kimikat
  • newexperienceaddict
  • inspector pinto
  • Michelle Cassidy
  • Cooth
  • 45rpm

Published

October 1, 2013

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.blogto.com/bookstores/monkeyspaw
  • http://vimeo.com/53679084
The Monkey's Paw
1067 Bloor St. West
Toronto, Ontario, M6H 1M5
Canada
43.660333, -79.432719
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The Wood Cake House

Toronto, Ontario

miles away

Sewers of Toronto

Toronto, Ontario

miles away

Casa Loma

Toronto, Ontario

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Toronto

Toronto

Ontario

Places 51
Stories 6

Nearby Places

The Wood Cake House

Toronto, Ontario

miles away

Sewers of Toronto

Toronto, Ontario

miles away

Casa Loma

Toronto, Ontario

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Toronto

Toronto

Ontario

Places 51
Stories 6

Related Places

  • Portal of books.

    Los Angeles, California

    The Last Bookstore

    This iconic L.A. bookshop is housed in an abandoned bank—both symbolic and chic.

  • Bangkok, Thailand

    Nightingale-Olympic

    Time-frozen department store of dangerous and dusty relics.

  • Pen Hospital

    Kolkata, India

    Pen Hospital

    For more than 70 years, this small shop has been a go-to for Kolkata's fountain pen connoisseurs and collectors.

  • Holden Wood Antiques

    Lancashire, England

    Holden Wood Antiques

    This antique shop and tea room reside inside a twice defunct church that was moved stone by stone to its current location.

  • Book Corner.

    Niagara Falls, New York

    Book Corner

    Western New York's largest independent bookstore doubles as a historical repository of all things Niagara Falls.

  • The door into the secret room is built to look like a bookcase.

    New Orleans, Louisiana

    M.S. Rau Antiques

    A treasure trove of rare and exquisitely detailed antiques

  • The massive warehouse is home to everything quirky.

    Bangkok, Thailand

    Papaya Studio

    Vintage furniture and art share space with all manner of collectibles at this quirky shop in Bangkok.

  • The “front out” display at Alabama Booksmith

    Homewood, Alabama

    Alabama Booksmith

    Every last book in this bookstore is signed by the author.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.