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    Moon Palace Books

    4.5 (36 reviews)
    ModerateBookstores
    Closed 11:00 am - 6:30 pm

    Moon Palace Books Photos

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    Katie S.

    What a cute store! It's very kitschy and there are lots if great gift ideas. The bookstore isn't huge, but they have a solid collection of things. The staff was friendly as well. Prices were fair and it's always good to shop local! This store requires masks, which they provide as needed, so that's good to note if you're coming here.

    View of the store from the front!
    Jannifer K.

    Moon Palace is a true literary palace! The store is filled with books, toys, gifts, journals, etc. The moment I stepped into the store, I got the same excitement that I did back when I was a kid going to my first book fair. The store was less busy when we came in at 5pm on a Wednesday so we had ample space to walk around and take our time appreciating looking through the books. Moon Palace has quirky, bright decor and is filled with a variety of books that fit a broad audience from classics to fiction, from memoirs to fantasy, and everything in between. I really appreciated their intentional highlight of books written by minority writers up front, and how clean as well as organized the store was. While the store isn't huge, they maximize what space they do have and provide a wide selection. This place would undoubtably be a spot that I visited again and again during breaks, on days off, or for a sweet escape on weekends when I want to unplug if I lived in Minneapolis. I highly recommend checking this *independent* book store out...who knows, you may even discover the next book that you just can't seem to put down after visiting.

    My haul from Moon Palace Books! I also got a copy of Edith Wharton's 'The House of Mirth', not pictured here.
    Lily T.

    Such an incredible bookstore! I could unfortunately not stay for very long, but the overall store was everything I could ever have hoped for: a) they had so many comics and graphic novels, a whole section in fact. since most bookstores skip over this incredibly important genre, I was ecstatic to see those books here. b) they had an amazing cafe! there was very good coffee and assorted snacks to choose from: and since I have a weak spot for eating and reading at the same time, I was so happy to see that kind of space here. It was so incredibly cozy, too. Unfortunately, I had one of their cookies and immediately felt nauseous: I later threw up after a long drive home. I had eaten the cookie on an empty stomach, but when i go back (note the lack of an 'if') i'm definitely not taking any chances. c) the rest of the store was an interesting mix of literature, YA, and assorted knickknacks and stickers. It's very liberal and forward-thinking, as such bookstores are meant to be, and their choice in decoration reflects that: you can buy stickers with various feminist messages, as well as portraits of Lizzo. All in all, I'd rank this bookstore as one of my favorites in Minnesota, along with Birchbark Books and Wild Rumpus. I would definitely go back and urge you to pay it a visit as well.

    Rachel W.

    What a lovely bookstore! I enjoyed perusing the shelves while I was in town. There is even a cafe inside with pizza and other delicious things to eat! FYI: The new books are all downstairs while the used books are located upstairs. I do like when they're all mixed in together, but this set up made sense for the store's layout. The staff is super friendly and even had some more book recommendations for me when I was checking out--every bookworm's dream! Oh, you're buying this book; I bet you'd like this one, too!

    Molly M.

    Wow. I've bicycled by here many times, meaning to stop some rainy day and I needed a good book. A bookstore with a coffee/pizza place in the back. Don't forget to check out the used books upstairs!

    Interior
    Gabby L.

    Anyone questioning that Minneapolis is a hip (in a cool indie nerd way) city needs to look no further than Moon Palace Books. During my last vintage shopping trip in the Minnehaha Mile area, I stopped by Moon Palace because why not? As soon as I walked in and saw they sell a tote bag with authors as goth cartoon characters, I was sold. [Maybe that tells you more about me than the store...hehe] The rest of the gifts and stationery section at the front of the store has many equally charming/funny/kitschy goods for the bibliophiles in your life. More importantly, the book selection is really awesome. Even though the physical space is relatively small, probably closer to the size of an airport book store than the size of many (boring) big chains, I feel like they have books to appease most audiences, including kids and young adults. Among your standard NYT bestsellers displayed on the tables in the center of the store and displayed along the windows, there were also indie-type new releases, some classics, some local authors, and zines. I could definitely tell the employees put a lot of thought into the displays and recommendations. The used book area is relatively small, but also seemed well-curated and I found some reasonably priced, good condition books to take home without needing to do a lot of filtering, too. Service was very polite and friendly. As I was walking out, I was charmed to hear the employee at the register attentively listening to a child's very specific request for books about her favorite animals and offering some thoughtful suggestions and assistance in finding them. You can tell so much about people (and places!) by how they treat kids. :) I would 100% recommend Moon Palace!

    Cafe area
    Jennifer B.

    This is a really cute neighborhood book store with a good selection of books by locals authors. Right next to the Hub bike shop and the coming-soon Arbiter brewery. They just added a little cafe in back too, that serves coffee / snacks and pizza. They organize books by topic (vs author) so it's a little bit of an adventure to find things sometimes, but the ambiance is so cute and fun!

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    Ask the Community - Moon Palace Books

    Review Highlights - Moon Palace Books

    The shop's stock is a little smaller than before (thanks Covid), but that didn't mean I left empty handed.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

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    5.0(8 reviews)
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    Such a gem! I recently stayed in downtown Minneapolis for a work trip and I always check for…read morebookstores in the area whenever I travel. I was so excited to learn of a black woman owned indie bookstore just a short walk from my hotel! Located in the Skyway, you can access via the Skyway or the street. It can be tricky to find using Google/Apple Maps from inside the Skyway. The app doesn't get a good signal inside, so it's easier to find from the street if you're unfamiliar with the Skyway. I got lost and asked the security guards in the mall for directions and they told me that all the bookstores downtown closed after the pandemic. I'm so glad I didn't listen to them and set off outside to find my way. Once I arrived after a 5 minute walk from the Marquette Hotel, I was in a book lovers dream! The bookstore is filled with an array of inventory, including local books, classics, new releases, children & teen books, accessories like bookmarks and stickers and even things for the home like candles and sage bundles. The owner, Miss Mary is just delightful. She introduced herself and we chatted for a while and let me know she was available if I needed help, I also noticed that she gave me space to browse freely and take in everything the store had to offer. If you are local, or visiting the area, please do yourself a favor and stop in to check out Strive Bookstore. We need to support our indie bookstores now more than ever!

    Ashamed to say that I paid this store my first visit this past week especially with how long…read morethey've been open. I needed to escape my home and walked downtown. Popped in here for a totally unplanned visit and if they weren't closing in an hour it would have been really hard for me to leave. What a comforting corner in what can sometimes be gloomy downtown Minneapolis. Solid book collection. Found out they host book clubs and you can even start your own and host it there. There's tons of comfy seating. Bonus points that it's black owned! Will be back!

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    This was my third stop on the Indie Bookstore Passport tour. This store is such a delight, as all…read moreof the books are exclusively part of the mystery/thriller/crime genre, which is my favorite to read! I've been here before, but this was the first time I checked out the annex portion of the store, which houses used books. If you are seeking a mystery book, this is the place to go as they've got it all. The prices of the used books were higher than I would have expected (nearly $14 for a used hardcover), but the selection makes it worth it. I liked the cute seating area in the annex a lot it looked very comfy. There is street parking near the store, but it's on a very busy street. That busy street made it feel like I was part of the video game Frogger trying to get back into traffic after parking!

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    Moon Palace Books - bookstores - Updated May 2026

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