Fact and Fiction in Missoula has a very elevated, artistic feel to it. The cool vibe is still irrestibily welcoming. If I’d been blindfolded and walked in without knowing where I was, I’d have guessed Missoula.
Fact & Fiction has been around since 1986. (That’s almost as old as me!) The original store was on Main Street but they moved to the current location on Higgins Ave in 1998. The Bluebird Building was built by Missoula’s founder, Christopher P. Higgins in 1889. It was the Empress Theatre and then the Bluebird Theater in 1925 and that name has stuck through to today.
It’s a lovely building and the store has beautiful hardwood floors, tall shelves, and nice displays for their great selection of books, stickers, and reading paraphernalia. There is artwork on display including this incredible carving.
Even the bathroom is decorated with posters and book covers. A small sign on the mirror reads, “People are messy and they leak.” I had to look it up to see if it was a book quote I hadn’t heard and I came up with a book with that title by Nadine Ann Shirley, a Montana author. Fact and Fiction has many local author titles to choose from.
They have a nice children’s area where you can also find games and puzzles. The staff was helpful but non-intrusive and we enjoyed our time in the cool A/C on a warm day. Fact and Fiction has events regularly. You can order from their website and Libro.fm account so you can support them from wherever you are but I highly recommend a visit when you’re next in Missoula.
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