If you've always dreamt of visiting a magical bookstore, Wild Rumpus is the place for you!

I was excited to pay a visit to this fabulous bookstore, and to reintroduce the girls to it's magic. We hadn't been here since they were quite small, and they didn't remember how wonderful this shop is. I wonder, have you ever been to a bookstore that simply felt magical? I'm a huge book-lover, so honestly, every bookstore feels magical to me, however there are a few really special, really unique bookstores that stand out in life as really inspiring. Wild Rumpus is one of them.

So what makes this bookstore more than a bookstore? What makes this little shop a destination in South Minneapolis? It's not just one thing. First, when you reach the front door, you see Wild Rumpus has a tiny kids' door inside the regular adult door. Ok, maybe this seems like a small thing, but it's not! I'd be lying if I said Mommy didn't duck down and sneak through the enchanting mini door a few (ok, about a dozen) times. And did I feel like a kid again as I walked through the children's door?.....You bet! If you think a mini door isn't a big deal, you apparently haven't taken your kiddos to Wild Rumpus and watched them go in and out through said door, literally for about an hour on end. It's that cool.

Next, they have a number of resident animals on the payroll at Wild Rumpus. They used to have a pet tarantula (yes, it was in a cage, not just crawling around all over), but sadly the giant, hairy spider passed away since our last visit. No, I'm not actually super sad about this. Now, the bookstore still serves as home to a few cats, some birds, sibling chinchillas, and more. The chinchilla brothers are Newbery and Caldecott (named after the awards, of course). Booker T and Eartha Kitt are kitties. And Dave and Mo are resident birds. The looks on the kids' faces when they entered and got to see animals actually live in the bookstore was priceless!

And, the other thing that makes this bookstore so special is their pure, unadulterated passion for reading and all things books. Some people work for a paycheck, but the staff at this bookstore love to spread their love of reading. During non-Covid times, they offer a super fun pajama party weekly storytime, and offer lovely virtual storytimes for now. They also offer book clubs for different ages, and author visit days. This place is truly magical! After grabbing a book here, head to nearby Mel-O-Glaze Bakery for a their famed treats!