📚 The Infernal Annex Brings a Horror Bookstore to Downtown Olympia

Downtown Olympia has a new home for horror fans. The Infernal Annex, at 100 4th Ave E, is a bookstore built around everything scary, and this is its first Halloween.

Owners Chris and Chelsia Boyer soft-opened over Labor Day weekend and celebrated their grand opening during Fall Arts Walk in early October. The shelves cover classic horror, gothic lit, 80s pulp, splatterpunk, dark fantasy, cozy horror, horror manga, and graphic novels, plus horror-themed gifts.

The idea is a place for horror readers to hang out, not just shop. The Boyers plan book clubs, author signings, writing clubs, and game nights, and they post event announcements on Instagram at @theinfernalannex.

Not sure where to start? The owners point to Clive Barker's "The Great and Secret Show" and Jack Ketchum's "Off Season," and they've put together a Halloween reading list.

Details:

• Where: 100 4th Ave E, downtown Olympia

• Hours: Thursday to Saturday, 11 AM to 6 PM; Sundays until 5 PM; closed Monday to Wednesday

• What you'll find: horror fiction, manga, gothic and pulp titles, and horror gifts

• Events: announced on Instagram at @theinfernalannex

Real estate note: independent shops like this keep downtown Olympia interesting. A walkable core with bookstores, cafes, and Arts Walk weekends is a big reason buyers look at homes near downtown and on the east side.