Local Shopping

Landlocked Music New and used vinyl, CDs, and tapes. They buy and sell as well as offer a handy weekly newsletter/website on new releases, bestsellers at the store, and upcoming shows in town. Landlocked has a great selection and a knowledgeable staff. In their third location now, they have expanded over the years and have a good depth to their stock. This is a great place to stop by if you want to browse event posters and get a sense of the local music scene. Conveniently open from 12-8 pm Monday-Saturday and 12-5 Sunday, which makes it easy to stop by if you’re downtown in the evening or on the weekend. 

TD’s CDs and LPs (no website, 322 E Kirkwood Ave., in the basement) Very small but very cool and weird record store. You’ll probably see some things you recognize, but more likely you’ll find a bunch of really interesting music from a whole bunch of different countries and time periods that you have never heard of in your life. Feel free to ask the employees for their thoughts – everyone who works there is extraordinarily nice. It’s also attached to a great coffee shop!

Vulture Video (no website, 120 E 6th St.) Mostly a video rental store, but also has a selection of books, magazines, DVDs and YES even VHS tapes for sale. Vulture is entirely volunteer-run and so sometimes has kind of weird hours, but it is truly the best video store I have ever been to. They almost always have something good playing on the TV, the volunteers are so friendly, and it’s just a lot of fun to browse! My favorite place in Bloomington and a must-visit for lovers of weird movies and cult films. 

Book Corner – Located on the courthouse square, this store has survived a lot of upheaval in the bookselling world. A good selection of popular new books for a place its size, with lots of gifts and puzzles. A great place to pick up a copy of a book by a local author, perhaps something by poet and IU professor Ross Gay? 

Caveat Emptor – Located on the courthouse square, this is Bloomington’s principal used and rare bookstore. I’m sure many of you will be making a stop here!

Friends of the Library Bookstore – Another source for used books, located on the ground floor of the Monroe County Public Library, right on Kirkwood Ave. Sure, some of these books are ex-library copies but others are donated and in great condition. Worth a look for classics and popular titles in many areas. Not open every day! Check the website for specific hours or look for their sandwich board on the sidewalk in front of the library.

Morgenstern’s Books – Located on the east side of Bloomington, you will want to take a car or bus or be a really intrepid scooter rider to get to this store. Morgenstern’s began as a large independent bookstore in the 1990s, then Borders and Barnes and Noble came to town and Morgenstern’s couldn’t compete. Flash forward twenty years—the chains have closed their Bloomington stores and now Morgenstern’s is back! They have a café with coffee and snacks and the store regularly hosts music and literary events.

Vintage Phoenix Comic Books – Bloomington’s comics store. New releases and more.  

Steve’s Book-O-Rama – This is a new offering and I don’t know much about it. Open a few hours each afternoon, it looks like they are building up stock slowly or perhaps using the storefront as home for a mostly online operation. Located just off the courthouse square. 

Academic Scholarly Books – Located on the east side of Bloomington, this firm is open by appointment (I think). See contact information on the website. 

Bonne Fete – Cool gifts for folks of all ages, from babies to grown-ups. On the courthouse square. 

By Hand Gallery – This artist cooperative has been selling local arts and crafts since 1979. It now handles the art of more than 100 local creators. Located on the courthouse square inside the Fountain Square Mall. 

Eskenazi Museum of Art Café and Gift Shop – A selection of books and gifts featuring works of this IU museum and a variety of other good stuff. Part of the museum café, a place that is good for a simple cup of coffee but not well equipped for more complicated drinks.

Gather – Handmade goods from artists, crafters, and makers from Bloomington and around the Midwest, including t-shirts, stickers, print and posters, jewelry and more. Three of my favorites are Bad Knees, dRock Press (t-shirts) and Blue Aster Studio (prints, cards, stickers). One half of Blue Aster Studio is David Orr, IU Libraries Graphic Designer!

Dunn Museum Store – Located just off Kirkwood Avenue in the Monroe County History Center, the store offers books, clothing, toys, candy, local art and handcrafts. 

Oak. – Houseplants and plant-related gifts. Tee shirts with ferns, stickers, crystals, fancy soaps and so on. On the courthouse square.