Mecosta Book Gallery
Click for Book Gallery Website
This is a Michigan day trip for book lovers. Inside an old building on the main street that, at first glance, appears to be shut down, is a collection of more than 75,000 books. This is the Mecosta Book Gallery. There are stacks of books in several rooms. Many of the titles are rare, or out of print, or both. Another unique feature of this treasure trove, is that the proprietors don't automatically make them available on the web.
When you enter, you are instantly in the stacks. Narrow aisles run throughout the store. The books are stacked to the high ceiling in every direction. For a book lover with some spare time, this is a paradise. The service here is casual, but excellent. I was once searching for an out-of- print book about Michigan and couldn't locate it anywhere in the state. I chanced to be on my way, somewhere else, and detoured to Mecosta. It took less than five minutes for the man in charge to walk me to the exact spot where the treasure I sought was waiting.
Across the street is the other bookstore run by these folks. I will leave that for you to discover on your own. The shops are open at odd hours throughout the year, but Thursday through Saturday are good bets. Check the Mecosta Book Gallery hours of operation at www.iswara.com .
Directions: Mecosta, Michigan, is on Route 20 just east of Route 66. Mecosta is roughly mid-way between Mt. Pleasant and Big Rapids.
The monthly newsletter is published on the 1st of each month and is delivered by email, www.travelinmichigan.com .
The monthly newsletter is published on the 1st of each month and is delivered by email, www.travelinmichigan.com .
