I was told the quit serving coffee and food . I'm not sure if they do or don't…read more The store have very good vinyl collection

Very cool store ! Good selection and pricing. Not too picked over like most retail vinyl stores.read more

I moved from Vancouver to Orillia a few months ago and was quickly blown away by the arts culture…read moreof a town that has historically punched above its weight class and won. It really is one of Ontario's best kept secrets. Live theatre, Opera house, Mariposa Market (smaller but cooler than Vancouver's beautiful Granville Island Market), Museum of Art & History, Leacock Museum, great lakes and beaches. But my #1 oasis has become Alleycats Music & Art, run by Mike Rothwell and his team of serious music lovers. First time in, I didn't know what to expect. Was kind of like walking into a surreal dream that mixed the favourite parts of my childhood with more LPs, CDs, shirts, and posters than I could count. Bought my first record player in years (Audio-Technica turntable, Edifier speakers - great gear and price). Music selection really is exceptional. Staff were really helpful, too. It's hard to find a store like this in a big city centre, definitely did not expect it in this town of 35,000 people. Highly recommend.

March 2019... So, I…read morediscovered Alley Catz a couple plus years ago and from the very beginning, I sensed the smaller town friendliness of Mike and Rob, which is a refreshing change from many stores in the GTA. Every time I'm in Orillia visiting my friends, I'll go in at least once to see what catches my eye, often buying 1 or more records, whether in the main store or the old Woolworths... But all that has suddenly changed. I was in yesterday and bought a bunch of records, spending a couple hours in the main store and digging in the basement. Today, I have some more time before making dinner and thought I'd go snooping in the basement again. I walk in the main store and ask if it's ok to look again. Mike confirms the gate is unlocked, I walk over but it's locked. So, I go back and Mike responds flippantly "oh well, too bad. I can't open it for you right now." Which I found odd, cause he's given me the key before when we first met but now there's a change of policy?? Ok whatever... Apparently, they've been dealing with shoplifters, which is a unfortunate. I hear Mike muttering under his breath "damn meth kids." Mike then continues to manifest this disdain towards me and made me feel like I was not to be trusted and says if he were to give me the key, that I'd have to have a minimum purchase of $5. I'm thinking, I spend money pretty much every time I come in, and just yesterday I spent $90+ and today I could spend more. And somehow you feel the need to enforce upon me a minimum?? So, along with this and some other off handed, passive aggressive comments yesterday and the general feeling that I was not welcome, so I just walked out. Don't imagine I'll be going back anytime soon... Unfortunately theft, external or otherwise is a part of every retail environment. If you can't manage that, and wind up translating those feelings by alienating and profiling every customer because of some bad eggs, you're in the wrong business...

The Green Apple Bookstore is not only an amazing place to pick up second hand books, but they also…read moresell used vinyl and have a fair trade gift shop in the back that sells funky handcrafts and fair trade products from different parts of the world. They have great prices and friendly staff. Check them out, located on the main street in Collingwood, beside Cafe Chartreuse.

Located on Huntsville's Main St. The Bookcase is a fantastic place to spend the better part of a…read moredreary day, which is exactly what I did a few weeks back. It offers a radical departure from the characteristic big box book stores that have spread like locusts and seem to anchor prime real estate in many of your favourite strip malls. The Bookcase offers a comfortable refuge in which to peruse until ones heart is content. There is zero pressure to purchase and a fireplace with wing backed chairs beckon you to cozy up. You will feel entirely at home here. The primary reasons I couldn't justify a higher rating were only minor but must be mentioned. there was no magazine selection and I know some might say that a traditional bookstore shouldn't offer such, but I love my magazines. Also selection did tend to be limited-which I do understand is simply due to a lack of shelf space. If there was a half star option I would definitely give it a 3.5, yet I simply couldn't go up to a 4 star. the Bookcase is however unquestionably worth a stop. After cramming your cranium at The Bookcase, Soul Sistas cafe is only steps away and affords you the opportunity to nourish your body with a decent selection of assorted smoothies and beautiful spinach crusted quiches. A better 1-2 combo is difficult to determine.

Cedar Canoe Books brings back the type of bookstore that was last seen in the mid-1990s…read more It has curated collections of tezts, a number featuring Canadian authors & recent awards. You won't find every book ever published here, jammed together in a way that makes it difficult to find anything. Instead you will find books that you might actually be interested in, and staff who are more than knowledgeable to help point you in the right direction. When popping your head in to look around it's important that you make your way up the stairs to the back to find the little reading nook, and the genre sorted texts. Normally a bookstore that sells merchandise with their name on a, like bags and sweaters might seem a little bit off. But, I could definitely see myself rocking a shirt from this location. It's a great reminder of your hometown, or your vacation away. When walking down main Street Huntsville you have to be sure to pop in.

This is an amazing toy store. Taking advantage of the grandparent's day deal every month is one of…read morethe best ways to get discounts on Lego sets that don't go on discount anywhere else. And, the board games. It's a great way to get cheap board games. What's incredible is that this place carries a number of games that are difficult to find even in the city. The selection of puzzles is also superb. This is a curated toy store where almost everything here is worth buying. Which, of course, is a curse all of its own. It's hard to step in here "just to look around" and leave without picking something up.

Thank goodness, the box stores haven't really attacked Muskoka. This toy shop is what all toy…read moreshops should be. A place to explore with your kids and not feel bombarded by mass market items. Great variety. Very reasonable prices. They also have a drop in art class in the back.

This place was a super cute bookstore. They had a decent selection of books. I grabbed a couple of…read moreinteresting things. They let me interac money to them, which was a definite bonus. I would go back and get more books if I was in the area for cottaging or something

From the owner: We buy and sell Used books. Local history, Muskoka books,…read moreLiterature, Canadiana, Fiction, Childrens, History, military, Sci-fi, art, mysteries, music, science, women's studies, health, cookbooks, young adult, gardening, architecture, do-it-yourself, sports, trains, boating, painting, crafts, hunting, fishing, animals, parenting, humour, westerns, romance, occult.