What a retro throwback on Front Street! Seriously, although it gives off 70-80s school library vibes this is an excellent independent and locally owned bookstore and coffeeshop that deserves your business. The staff is wonderful and has great insights not only on books but events and sights to check out in Traverse City. There is a terrific section dedicated to local hikes, sights and history should you like a meaningful souvenir from TC and the kids' section also has much to offer. Be sure to get a coffee, snack, etc along with your literary purchase and enjoy their shaded patio overlooking Front Street. read more

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Stopped in over the summer and was happy to a see an author out front with his books! When I walked in, I was surprised to see how big the book shop was and loved browsing at their various sections. They also have a lovely upstairs with cards, puzzles, and more. There's a small cafe on the lower level as well. I'd frequent this place all the time if I lived here. read more

I love visiting this specific store when I'm in TC. Not only do they have a lovely little cafe inside, but they have an extremely organized store with something for everyone. I can spend hours just browsing the shelves. The books are fairly priced as well. The staff is very nice and helpful too. read more

Great bookstore with a huge selection. I like local poetry, which can be found upstairs. There are plenty of non-fiction for my husband while I sort through the feminist and local authors. I love the massive section for kids to teens, making it easy for young people to find their reading level. No notes, 10/10. No rude employees. The 1-3 star reviews are simply ego and don't belong here. Def worth the stop when you're in TC read more

LONG LIVE INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORES! And long live Horizon Books, a spacious, two level shop of delights right on the main drag of downtown Traverse City. I love taking time during my visits to TC to just soak in all the beautiful bookstore vibes. Come to town without a beach read? Pop in and find some best selles to settle into the sand with. Looking to flip through some magazines for some light reading or niche inspiration? They've got a nice selection of periodicals. Need something to occupy the kiddos? Hit up their children's books stacks or poke through their solid selection of puzzles and board games. As a stationary/papier collector I also love checking out their offerings of journals, letter sets, greeting cards, and more. Non-fiction is also stacked with all the popular categories, from history to art, to music, etc. They also do a great job of featuring local authors. I'm usually only in town for a few days but I still love checking out their board of upcoming events. They often have special music performances, readings and book signings, as well as group meet ups like book clubs, chess and mahjong clubs, gardening groups, etc. There's even a coffee shop if you need a pick me up or a nibble while you sit and thumb through a book of poetry or a new novel. Staff is lovely and the register area is also packed full of fun things to pick up, small art books, and wee gifts perfect for stocking stuffers or a "just because" surprise for a loved one. I love everything about this place and I hope it continues on for a very long time! read more

Really nice book store! They have so many options, cute little coffee shop. Sweet ladies at checkout!

Great selection of books. Big kids section, which was great. My kids each picked out a book. I was able to pick up a book I've been wanting for a while. The service was very good. They let me store my stuff at the checkout desk while trying to wrangle up the kids and their picks. Overall, would go back again. read more

While in traverse city for the weekend, we stopped in while strolling the shops. The store owner was so sweet and there is a great selection of books of all genres. I was really impressed with the size of the store and prices were very reasonable even for some of the special and limited editions. I appreciated the diverse selection including a local author section, which makes a great souvenir. read more

This is the best bookstore that I saw in town. It doesn't really have the rare gems that I always like to find in good bookstores but has a really solid collection of materials that will probably suit any basic needs. It has an upper and lower section although the upper section was more of a tease as I expected the collection to be a little bit bigger than it actually is but it is the best in town They have an adequate staff to help you find whatever it is that you're looking for. For comparison it's probably just like a Barnes & Noble read more

The store was very well organized! The ladies were very helpful. I enjoyed looking at all the books and having to choose just one. read more

Horizon Books - Bought this book and went to Sorellina next door to read it. Loving the book so far. The store was very well organized. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

Such a nice bookstore! Very friendly employees, cute cafe, and a great variety of books.

This is such a nice book store. Right in the heart of downtown it's a huge open space with a large selection, with some unique books items and it's extremely clean and so well organized. The ladies working were super nice and pointed me right to the mushroom section where I started hunting for a mushroom hunting book. There was a better mushroom selection here than all the other books stores I've been to, so it was a good problem deciding which one to get. I ended up getting "Mushrooms of the North Woods,") because it was written specifically for the North Woods and by people living in them and also a big factor was that it was printed in the United States (the other was printed in China-no thanks). read more

Horizon Books - a picture of a hawk and mushrooms - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

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My family's go-to book store in TC for over 10 years! Phenomenal assortment of books, very friendly and helpful staff, cozy and inviting atmosphere. Very charming each time we visit. Love that they highlight many local writers and authors. Overall, a must see for every TC visitor. read more

Amy Reynolds the owner is a beautiful brilliant business women. I shopped there for 25 and always loved the place. unfortunately. The last time I was in there one of the employees name to Juan, said a racial remark about one of the authors and I disagreed and confronted him about his remark. I thought I was very unprofessional and uncalled for.. thank you have a good day Daniel Micheal read more

First ever yelp review, so hopefully that shows how upsetting this experience was. One staff member in particular needs to review the ADA guidelines for service animals. My family has walked in multiple stores downtown and sat in multiple restaurants and cafes, all of which have had the perfect understanding of what a service animal identification looks like. This staff member was incredibly hostile off the bat and had a very rude tone during the interaction. After my dad tried to explain that she was a medical alert dog she very rudely said that this 'wasn't good enough' for an explanation. One quick Google search tells you that it is. Even after explaining that he has PTSD, this somehow still wasn't good enough for her. We left the store despite my plan to purchase something. I urge that staff member and everyone reading this to understand that not all disabilities are visible and to consider how you talk to people. read more

A great getaway from the hustle and bustle of Traverse City. Quaint, cute, lots of options and a great coffee shop filled with various coffees, teas among other items. read more

Great children's books selections! The customer service is always top notch. I love visiting this bookstore!

Love this place! It's in the middle of downtown, next door to the theater, and full of books, board games and fun knick knacks. Love the magnetic book marks! My daughter and I are avid readers and enjoyed browsing the shelves here. They also have a nice cafe and comfortable seating. And for some reason, it's more personable than Barnes & Noble. Perhaps because it's not a chain? In any event, we loved it. read more

Horizon Books - Magnetic bookmarks - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

Great selection of books at a discount. I was especially impressed with the large young adult section for my two girls. The have books on every subject. They also have gifts, games and puzzles. Good selection of coffee drinks and they have some baked muffins and scones. It is a very large three floor store in what used to be a JC Penny. Definitely worth a visit. Support a local business! read more

Nicest staff you will ever find! They open early and have all the national papers. A great source for books and newspapers!

Fantastic book store with friendly and knowledgeable staff. Loved their Pride display and their diverse collection of books.

Fabulous book store with the best selection of books! We found a wide array of books we had been looking for plus a host of gift items. Friendly helpful staff, this bookstore is a favorite stop anytime we are in the area. read more

This is my favorite bookstore in TC. They have a great selection of just about anything you want. They regularly have author signings and other cool events to check out. They have a great coffee shop with delicious scones and super good coffee. Definitely a must see when visiting downtown. read more

Horizon Books - Awesome selection of books with some rare finds. Always always on our list for when my husband and I are in town. The coffee is great, too. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

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Not much to say here, other than anytime I'm in Traverse I make sure to drop by Horizon books. I usually read theological books, their selection of theology related books isn't half bad, not to mention you can sometimes find really great prices on books. Be sure to drop by here if you're in the area. read more

A really nice independent bookstore with a small town feel. I like this store a lot. I stop in every single time I travel up to Traverse City. For a not-so-large bookstore, it has an enviable non-fiction section and lots of indie periodical titles. There are also some awesome bargains to be unearthed, if you dig around for awhile in the clearance section. I've scored coffee table books for up to 80% off and over-sized trade titles for $.299, which retailed for $14-$16 apiece. A cute children's section rounds out this two-level bookshop in the heart of downtown Traverse City. If you have kids, you would be remiss to not stop and take a look for yourselves. Let's not forget about the cafe inside. For a smaller shop, Horizon's has a very well-appointed cafe, with better than average pastries and coffee drinks at reasonable price prices. I love the al fresco dining on the patio as well. The staff is always friendly and personable, always smiling and willing to chat about their favorite book titles or recommendations. I love that personal touch. read more

By far the best bookstore i have ever been to. Here are the reasons why: - Awesome location! Located in downtown Traverse City, you can easily find parking, stop by the bookstore, then check out a movie at the restored theater (thanks Michael Moore!) or take a walk to Cherry Republic and get some tasty samples. - Great book selection and frequent book signings/readings. We all want to support independent business, but sometimes to do that you have to sacrifice selection, but fear not, that is not the case at Horizon. - Cute little cafe with delicious snacks and coffee. Also free WiFi which is a huge plus. My parents live in Elk Rapids and the Internet is sooo slooow I often go into TC and camp out at Horizon Books cafe so i can actually get some work done. No offense, Borders/Barnes/all giant chains, but Horizon Books is far superior! read more

Love this book store. We bought our daughters Autographed Michigan Chiller books here. We can see why they have been in business all these years. read more

I'm a big fan of Horizon Books. It's nice to still have such a prominent and well appointed local bookstore right downtown in Traverse City. They have a pretty solid selection of books and periodicals, and as a regular fiction reader I've always been pleased with their offerings. It helps that they have a friendly staff, as well, very useful when looking for something specific or needing a recommendation. They also support local authors and community events here - most recently I saw an interesting presentation about birds in our area by Wings of Wonder - they had owls and a raptor in the building and gave a cool demo. It's awesome that Horizon can help facilitate these kind of events for Traverse City. But more than all of that, I really like to be able to just walk int here, order a drink and maybe some food and sit around in the up or downstairs cafe areas to read and hang out for a bit. Great place to learn new things, meet people, and relax with a book or magazine anytime of year. read more

I'm surprised I haven't reviewed this already, and yes I think that Horizon books is a great place. And now that borders is liquidating, I will probably be here more often (plus I dig their downtown location on Front Street). Also of note, this store is open until 11pm, which is late for N. Michigan. I enjoy their staff recommendations too. They have a good magazine and newspaper selection as well. Also, home to the Rise and Shine cafe (downstairs) and a coffee shop (upstairs). If you work downtown, you can get a discount/frequent buyer card for the coffee shop. Since the coffee shop is associated with Java Joe's you can also pick up buy 10, get 1 card. This store occasionally has live music downstairs. read more

It's nice to see actual brick and mortar bookstores. This one was on par with any of the big box stores. They surpassed the borders and Barnes nobles types by having an above average cafe in the basement where you could drink a coffee, hang out, or read. There is a piano in the cafe for patrons to play. The day I went, there was an amazing teenage boy playing various songs for those chilling in the cafe. It had a very downtime feel to it. Support your local bookstores and go here. read more

I love bookstores. I love tihs bookstore! Such a great selection of MI authors and many signed books from previous signings held at the store. Great selection of MI content as well. Friendly service. Great children's section. Outdoor tables. Coffee. Pastries. Perfect. Support independent businesses! read more

A local bookstore with something for everyone. It is a hot spot for all ages, offering live music, readings, room for groups to meet, food and designer beverages. Great magazine selection takes up an entire wall on the lower level. I can spend hours in there browsing and almost always run into someone I know. Friendly and helpful staff and lots of places to sit. Love this bookstore! read more

I love you, Horizon Books. As I no longer live in town I haven't utilized your services in a while, but the fact that a 3 story independent bookstore is still operating in downtown Traverse City on prime real estate is so, so heartening to me. Please buy your books from Horizon! Living in Ann Arbor where Shaman Drum has been forced to close I can tell you it is a sad, sad thing. P.S. I have always been impressed by your periodical section and, particularly, the literary journals. Keep it up! read more

One of the few remaining local independent book stores, that you find in smaller cities, that services their community in many ways. Horizon books has three floors, right on front street in the middle of the downtown track of Traverse City. There are three floors, with the bottom floor having clearence books, a large coffe bar, and some Internet terminals. The main floor has a small coffee station, the main cash register station and most current books. The top floor has many of the non-fiction special categories. An unique feature is the top floor looks down onto the main floor, and they hang 20-25 quilts from local quilting guilds. I assume they have other pieces of art (most of these quilts are at the art level), but I've only seen quilts on display. The books have a local Michigan flare and a large focus on handy man, photography and craft topics - I guess catering to their primary customer base. I like these bookstores, where you wonder around and look at the various topics. It worth dropping in and seeing if you can find something to read. read more

I might do 4.5/5 stars if I could. The wife and I visited this place while strolling along downtown. This place (if you're into books or not) is worth a peak. 2 stories and a basement, guys. Tons of books and selections. And they have board games and two cafes with comfortable seating. It's like a home-grown Barnes and Noble / Borders. My only issue is the decor. It's... all over the place. Eclectic might be a better word. The store's flow is weirdly dictated by the books, so it can feel a little cramped with their selection, but it is very organized. If I lived here, I would prefer this over any library. Can't wait to come back! read more

This has always been a great book store and more! It's spacious and the basement area is great for casual gatherings. Sad to know that Horizon is closing this year.. Will be greatly missed.. read more

Disclaimer: I designed and built the website for Horizon Books but I am not an employee. I am a frequent shopper and have been for a long time. I've loved this place long before I did web design work for them. As Independent bookstores go, Horizon Books ranks near the top. The store has three levels bursting with books for everyone in the family. The kids section is amazing. Bargain books are located in the bottom level where they also have space for musicians and poets to perform. Many local groups and clubs utilize Horizon for their meetings. Customer service is taken very seriously, but you won't get hounded like you do at Borders and the other large chains. It's located right downtown in Traverse City, just a few doors down from the historic State Theatre. For locals, Horizon is nearly as historic, it's been part of the community for more than 30 years. Subtracting one star due to the slow wireless internet connection and the inability to purchase or reserve books online. It's easy to see why this family owned bookstore continues to thrive in downtown Traverse City. read more

Eat a great dinner on Front Street and then stroll in and buy a book! There is a great selection of books, friendly employees, seating, and a coffee bar. read more

I like supporting independent bookstores as much as I like supporting independent coffee shops. Horizon Books is a great bookstore with an amazingly large kids' section and a wonderful selection of greeting cards. I could have spent a couple of hours just in the kids' section, and I did pick up a book for my nephew. I'll definitely stop in again when I'm in the area. read more

Lot of good browsing here --- I've found some special books on the budget tables that I hadn't seen else. Something for everyone in the family, too. I have not tried their coffee however, so cannot speak to that. read more