Rochester doesn’t have one big bookstore that does everything, and we think the city is better for it. Instead, readers get a handful of small, independent shops with very different personalities: a rare book showroom down an alley off South Broadway, a volunteer shop inside the library, a used bookstore full of themed rooms, a downtown arts hub celebrating Black and Brown voices, and a strip mall storefront packed with paperbacks. Here’s where to go shopping for your next read in Rochester, plus a few Southeast Minnesota bookstores worth the drive.
Rochester, MN, Bookstores
Some of these shops sell new books and most deal in used, but every one of them is independently run. Hours at small shops can change with the seasons, so it’s always smart to check before you head over.
Diatom Books
Used & Rare Bookstore
Diatom Books spent years as an online shop and a regular at events like the Minnesota Antiquarian Book Fair before owner Lucy Kruesel opened a tiny downtown showroom in December 2025. The shop bills itself as the smallest bookstore west of the Mississippi, and finding it is half the fun. Look for the entrance in the alley behind Art Heads Emporium. Inside, the shelves lean toward science, technology and society, with literature, art, history, poetry and children’s titles mixed in alongside rare antiquarian finds, maps, prints and other paper treasures. Have a well kept book collection in those subjects? Kruesel buys books, too.
Address: 321 S Broadway, Rochester, MN 55902 (enter from the alley behind Art Heads Emporium)
Friends Bookstore
Used Bookstore
Every purchase at Friends Bookstore goes straight back to the Rochester Public Library. The shop has been open on the library’s main floor since 1995, staffed entirely by volunteers and stocked with donated books, DVDs, CDs, audiobooks and puzzles at prices that make it easy to leave with a stack. The inventory turns over constantly, and regulars know to stop in often. Browse the carts outside the store in the lobby, too, and watch for the Friends of the Library’s four big auditorium sales each year for even deeper discounts. Bookstore hours are Monday through Thursday from 11 AM to 6 PM and Friday and Saturday from 11 AM to 2 PM.
Address: 101 2nd St SE, Rochester, MN 55904
Garden Party Books
Used Bookstore
Andy and Anna Smith opened Garden Party Books in October 2021, and it quickly became one of the best places in town to lose an afternoon. The outside is painted with classic titles, and the inside is a series of rooms organized by genre, several with décor to match. The Romance Room is a cozy nook draped in flowers, while the Murder Room houses mystery, thriller and horror under a ceiling of caution tape and cobwebs. Cards, art prints and craft kits make it an easy stop for gifts. Garden Party also doubles as a community space with craft nights, author events, poetry readings and a big Independent Bookstore Day celebration every April. Hours are Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 11 AM to 5:30 PM and Sunday from 1 to 5 PM (closed Tuesday and Wednesday).
Address: 602 7th St NW, Rochester, MN 55901
Griot Arts
New Bookstore, Art Gallery & Community Space
Griot Arts is a bookstore, gallery and gathering place on the north end of downtown. Founder Nicole Nfonoyim-Hara built the shop around a curated collection celebrating Black and Brown voices, and it’s one of the few independent bookstores in Rochester that sells mostly new books. Browse fiction, history, poetry and children’s titles surrounded by work from local and regional artists of color, African wax print textiles, woven baskets and rattan seating. The event calendar stays full with poetry nights, open studios, kids’ story times and community celebrations. Hours are limited, so check Griot Arts’ website or social media before you go. Downtown parking is free after 5 PM and on weekends.
Address: 115 N Broadway Ave, Rochester, MN 55906
Paperback Book Palace
Used Bookstore
Tucked into Cedarwood Plaza in northwest Rochester, Paperback Book Palace calls itself the oldest used bookstore in Rochester, and it shops like one. The store deals in paperbacks and audiobooks, with shelves packed tight from end to end. Romance gets the biggest share of the floor (and frequent sales), but you’ll also find mysteries, biographies, Christian fiction, children’s books and more. Paperback Book Palace runs on trade, too. Bring in up to 20 books at a time for store credit toward your next armload.
Address: 4106 18th Ave NW, Rochester, MN 55901
Southeast Minnesota Bookstores Worth the Drive
Southeast Minnesota is full of small towns with great bookstores, and each shop below sits within about an hour of Rochester. Pair one with lunch and a walk downtown for an easy day trip.
Chapter 2 Books | Winona
Used Bookstore
Winona native Daryl Lanz opened Chapter 2 Books in 2012, and the shop in Winona’s historic downtown now holds more than 20,000 used books, with new arrivals coming in nearly every day. Lanz spent years managing record stores before he went into books, and you’ll find vinyl and CDs mixed in with the fiction, nonfiction, comics and graphic novels. Chapter 2 also buys and trades. Bring a box of books you’ve finished and leave with store credit. Open Monday through Saturday from 10 AM to 6 PM.
Address: 125 E 3rd St, Winona, MN 55987
Paperbacks and Pieces | Winona
Used & New Bookstore
Paperbacks and Pieces opened in 1977 and is still Winona’s oldest and largest bookstore. More than 35,000 titles fill the shelves, and about 90% are gently used and priced at half the cover price (or 75% off with trade credit). New releases sit up front, and the “Pieces” side of the name covers gifts, cards, candles and seasonal work by local artists. Grab a bottle of Northern Soda on your way out. Paperbacks and Pieces is the only place in Winona that sells the Minnesota made pop.
Address: 429 Mankato Ave, Winona, MN 55987
Content Bookstore | Northfield
New Bookstore
Content opened on Northfield’s Division Street in December 2014, after Jessica Peterson White bought the bookstore that came before it. More than ten years and one expansion later, it’s a bright, carefully curated shop with new books for every age, plus games, puzzles, stationery and Kids’ Content, a toy and game shop for younger readers. Author readings and story times fill the event calendar. The Cannon River Walk is a few minutes away for anyone who wants to read their new book by the water.
Address: 314 Division St S, Northfield, MN 55057
Fair Trade Books | Red Wing
Used & New Bookstore
Fair Trade Books has been part of downtown Red Wing since 2014, set in a historic building a block and a half off Main Street with original tin ceilings and well worn hardwood floors. Most of the shelves hold gently used books with new titles mixed in, along with puzzles, vinyl, fair trade gifts and a collection of Persian rugs. First visit? Expect a few questions about what you like to read. The owners have a tradition for newcomers, and we’ll let them tell you about it.
Address: 320 Bush St, Red Wing, MN 55066
Sweet Reads Books and Candy | Austin
New & Used Bookstore and Candy Shop
Sweet Reads Books and Candy sits across the street from the SPAM Museum and sells exactly what the name promises. Owner Lisa Deyo opened the shop in 2016 and gave the entire front of the store to Minnesota authors. New and used titles fill the rest, alongside magazines, goods from local artisans and a counter of nostalgic candy like Necco wafers and candy buttons. Kids make a beeline for the train and the reading forest, and the free Museum of Sweet Collections rotates in displays from local collectors. Watch for monthly poetry open mics and author meet and greets.
Address: 407 Main St N, Austin, MN 55912
What’s your favorite independent bookstore in Southeast Minnesota? Tell us in the comments!
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