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    Wild Rumpus

    4.7 (128 reviews)
    ModerateBookstores
    Closed 10:00 am - 7:00 pm

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    Kaitlyn K.

    Holy cow this is the BEST children's bookstore I have ever been to (coming from an adult with no kids)! There are so many books for all ages and the decor is amazing! This was a place my husband grew up going to whenever his family visited the Twin Cities and returning brought back so many memories for him. We had a great time looking at the books hidden in their nooks, taking in the decor, and saying "hi" to the bookshop pets. Bring your kids here for lifelong memories, or visit to make new ones! *Tip: Take a peek inside the bathroom with the lights off.

    Inside
    Kathryn E.

    What a great book store! So many books! Cute decor! Cats roaming. Other animals in cages. Lots to see and enjoy inside. Love the front door- there's a small size for kids or full size for parents. So fun! Parking can be tricky - only street parking. Masks are still required - even for children and those who are vaccinated.

    Kimberly G.

    An escape from reality in the middle of the city! This book store is amazing. It's mainly children's books - but they do have a small YA/new adult section. We could spend hours in here! The staff is always friendly, and the books are cheaper then expected in a place this fantastic. I love wild rumpus.

    Howie H.

    If i was a kid, i probably break into this store when it's closed coz i would never want to leave. The attention to detail on the interior decoration is so geared for little ones to completely and utterly fall in love with. Little couches, little chairs, little nooks to discover, and ANIMALS? What's not to love? It's a rumpus in here, no wait.... a Wild Rumpus. First thing I noticed when entering was the littler entrance door for children and maybe the local Minneapolis hobbits. The ceiling was like a scene out of a book. Right away you'll notice the cats freely roaming around. Every corner has something to discover. There's a ferret, bird, pet (big) spider, pet rats, and an ant farm. There's a wooden shed with clear glass floors to see skeletons below! A corner awaits for little ones to curl up with their book(s). The subjects and topics carried by the store was commendable. The store carries not-so-easy topics about modern day adult stuff. I did not hear one kid sighing or saying they wanted to leave. All cries on why they have to leave.

    Baramee C.

    Oh my gosh, what an incredibly whimsical bookstore. And the whimsy starts with the front door that is painted purple (I'm pretty sure it was purple). But there were actually two doors (that both opened), a small one for children and a normal sized one for the adult humans. I, of course, had to go through the small door. I wanted the full experience. The bookstore is insanely adorable. The book selection is fantastic. The decor is amazing and the staff is super nice. Walking in you want to look at ALL the books and you want to explore the whole store. And yes, they do have live animals (they're in cages...mostly). The front of the store is for your younger readers. As you make your way through to the back of the store, there are books for older readers. I could've spent all day in that bookstore probably. So many books I just wanted to explore and look at more. Great place for gifts or to take children. TLDR: definitely worth checking out especially for children

    Liza E.

    Perfect MN day. An afternoon in Linden Hills. First stop Wild Rumpus. My daughter has grown up through the pages of this unique little book store. I first brought here here when she could barely walk as a toddler and she loved it. A decade later it's still a favorite. She's a tween and barely fits through the "kid" door, but it's a must do. Then there's the cats, chickens, chinchillas, tarantula, and doves that live within the book store that are oh so fun to find. I love the wide age selection of books and never leave without a new treasure and book to read.

    Kristina F.

    This store makes me wish I was a little kid again. As a bookstore enthusiast I love all the passion put into children's books and imagination at this store. Along with all of the wonders this bookstore has to offer for children they also carry teen and some adult literature. A huge bonus for animal lovers, this bookstore has animals galore! There's everything from cats to ferrets to a chicken at Wild Rumpus to entertain and educate children about animals. I will always highly recommend Wild Rumpus to anyone that's looking for a fun, iconic Minneapolis bookstore to explore, no matter if your 5 or 105 years old!

    sarah p.

    Cats, chickens, tarantulas, an African lizard, and who knows what else is chilling in the coolest bookstore EVER. And, yeah, it's a children's bookstore, but I dare you to enter and not wish you were little again or not get swept away in thinking that you can fit through the little purple door as you leave. You can spend a ton of time browsing through the racks upon racks of books...but they could be a little stronger in the foreign language section (but at least they have them!) Bring you kids for the reading groups and story hour (sorry, I don't know the details of these, but do call). Hanging out here is an exciting, fun, and educational way to spend some time with your kids. They're sure to be excited about books after leaving here!

    Ferdinand the ferret
    Howie K.

    The moment my 14 year-old got hold of an iPod, she set down her books for good. Er, unless we revoked the iPod, that is, because her grades were slipping or something. Then she'd return to old fashioned books, fleetingly, for a few chapters, maybe. But if she could exist in her own media wonderland, it would be digital and stuck in a cloud. This bodes very, very badly for independent bookstores, especially because our daughter actually loves books. I've met a lot of kiddos in my time, and Aura is without question one of the nosiest bookworms of the lot; just a year ago, we'd bring home a haul from the library and she'd have the stack finished over a weekend. Her imagination, curiosity and thirst for adventure was unquenchable. But books don't "like" you. They don't post pictures, or check in, or let you choose an emoticon. They're far to real, honestly, to care. Swinging through the vines of the Wild Rumpus rainforest, this attitude - an insistence on being Real - inhabited the place. Aptly titled, the Rumpus hops on a boat out to sea and never looks back to the shore. It plays games in the trees with a kid named Max and doesn't give a damn whether you care. It's a wonderland of books for peeps of all ages - and I do want to emphasize this, as the latest from Stephen Colbert sat on the front window - but the focus is on the kids, obviously, since our habits, good and bad, begin in those formative years. Feathered friends, creepy crawlies, soft purr balls and other creatures peep at you from the underbrush, and something's always happening on the other end of the island. Perhaps this is precisely the attitude the independent bookstore must adopt as our content finds itself on electronic devices, rather than the worn pages of loved books. It certainly appears to be a successful model for Wild Rumpus. As we were leaving, I caught a glimpse of a couple of little girls - younger, maybe 8 and 10 - entering the shop with an exuberance I've never witnessed in my life. So maybe they, and an army of others, are learning to disconnect from the digital realm and use their personal wiring to enjoy the world. But somehow, I don't quite buy it, and I'm really frightened about the future of the book. Thanks for trying to keep the dream alive, Wild Rumpus.

    View from the back corner.
    Ruth D.

    It absolutely lives up to the hype. Some thoughts, in no particular order, about my visit with my 7-year-old: There is a canoe making its way through beautifully crafted breaking ice. On the ceiling. My 7-year-old attempted to pet a chicken. (We had a talk about why this is generally a Bad Idea, but the chicken took it in stride.) The staff! So sweet and helpful and accommodating. The place is simply bursting with books. Books everywhere. Big books, small books, in every crack and crevice, glittering like gems. It feels like something out of Harry Potter. I think this is what an indie bookshop on Diagon Alley must look like. And I love how they have them organized. You simply have to see this for yourself. My space-obsessed 7-year-old found an entire section devoted to space and spent a blissful half-hour happily reading several space books on a cozy cushion in a back corner (we bought two of the books). For reference, this is a child who regularly erupts with random space facts at odd intervals. ("Mama! Did you know that there are earthquakes on the moon? Only they are not called earthquakes; they are called 'moonquakes.'") I got lost in a section on fairy tales and bedtime books for an additional 20 minutes. Again, there is an entire wall of JUST fairy-tale, bedtime, read-aloud, classic children's stories. Robinson Crusoe. Peter Pan. Classic Pooh. I want to buy these for myself to relive my childhood. We'll be back. I can't wait until my 8-month-old twins are old enough to enjoy this shop.

    Kitty!
    Amy J.

    Too cute! We stopped in just to see the cats lol but we quickly fell in love with the whole store! What a great idea with a huge selection of books. It was a fun store. The animals are a huge bonus. We found 1 cat and he was so friendly! My son picked out a few new books for the summer and is asking to go back!

    Sammy leaving Wild Rumpus...
    Emily S.

    I love this place like Joe Mauer loves homeruns. Perhaps one of my favorite places in Minnesota of all time, Wild Rumpus is bursting with creativity and imagination and love -- for books and animals and pint sized people. Time to share your heart and time and love for books. Life gives us very few of these places. Enjoy the painted ceiling and murals, the collection of live animals, the plethora of good books, the overstuffed furniture, and the dreams of a brain (or several brains) run amok in a store for all to enjoy.

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    Independent bookstore with cats, chickens, a Halloween play area, and a cute purple door. What's not to love?!

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    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - Wild Rumpus

    Review Highlights - Wild Rumpus

    Linden Hills is on the other side of the city from us but it was an adventure day so to Wild Rumpus we went!

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    Strive Bookstore - Love the donation box concept.

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    Once Upon A Crime
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    Wild Rumpus - bookstores - Updated May 2026

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