MILWAUKEE — More than 40,000 books fill the shelves at Renaissance Books in Milwaukee's airport, with 95% of them used and some more than 100 years old. This isn't your typical airport retail experience.
"I don't know how long the Romanovs have been on the shelves here, but one of our long-term staffers who's been working here longer than I've been alive jokes that he thinks one of the books out by the counter has been there the entire time," said Alex John, owner of Renaissance Books.
The bookstore offers an eclectic mix that sets it apart from standard airport shops. Travelers can browse everything from polar exploration guides to horse stories, classics to camping manuals, furniture books to an entire Green Bay Packers section. There's even a banned book section and a "blind date with a book" display where mystery titles are wrapped with only slight descriptions on the outside cover.
Renaissance Books first opened in Milwaukee in 1959, with the airport location launching in 1979. The family-run business has remained a constant through decades of change in both the book industry and air travel.
"The store gets bigger every once or twice a decade," John said.
The store draws three distinct customer groups: 10 percent are pure destination shoppers who come from the surrounding area specifically to browse the collection, 80 percent are general airport travellers, and 10% are people picking up loved ones at the airport who choose to shop while waiting.
"It would be a weird thing to lie about, but people say they choose Milwaukee's airport as their layover or their connection so that they can come here," John said.
The bookstore has passed through three generations of family ownership, going from grandpa to great uncle, and now to John, who brought diverse professional experience to the role. Before owning Renaissance Books, he worked as a construction project manager, a lawyer, and in finance.
"I think this is the first job I've ever had in my life where I've been waking up before my alarm clock, excited to go to work in the morning," John said.
Under his leadership, the literary tradition continues to grow. They are building a new section of the store as a reading nook for children's books. Construction is expected to be finished by the holiday travel season.
"Like a place that I and my 3- and 5-year-old sons and wife would want to stop, you know, while killing time in an airport," John said.
This expansion is impressive for a used bookstore that has weathered economic crises, pandemics, the rise of Amazon, and competition from big bookstore chains.
"I think we've been insulated from a lot of industry trends just by being in an airport," John said.
Unlike typical airport retail, Renaissance Books doesn't charge airport prices.
"Our lease requires us to have real-world pricing," John said.
The cheapest books cost just four or five dollars, a stark contrast to the $9 water bottles found elsewhere in airports. This pricing strategy has cultivated a loyal customer base.
"It's a highlight. I probably come to the airport just to come to this bookstore," said Maria Mooney, who was traveling from Philadelphia.
"This is very unique," said Abbey Schreiber, who dropped her parents off at the airport and wanted to explore the bookstore.
The shop's unique atmosphere makes visitors forget they're in a busy airport terminal. The shelves are packed so densely that books are hidden behind other books, creating a treasure hunt experience for browsers.
Watch the story to see more of Renaissance Books...
To stock this extensive collection, John relies on a tried-and-true method.
"The vast majority of our books are actually sourced by my uncle, who still drives around buying books," John said.
Renaissance Books feels like the neighborhood shop around the corner, similar to the store in 'You've Got Mail'. Except that instead of New York City, this store is located in Milwaukee's airport, and it doesn't look like any chain store will be able to put this bookstore out of business.
For those who buy a book at the store, the shop offers a voucher that covers about 2 hours of parking.
This story was reported on-air by James Groh and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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