Minnesota Record Store Guide: Duluth, Northern Minnesota, and nearby
April 13, 2026
The Minnesota Music Guide features content that illuminates key regions in greater Minnesota. This edition is a Record Store Guide focusing on Lake Superior’s Twin Ports and the nearby region.
The Twin Ports area has long drawn Midwest music lovers with its balance of grit and natural beauty. Consisting of Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin, it’s a place where locals grow up hearing about hometown musical legends such as Trampled by Turtles, Low, Bob Dylan, and many others. Visitors initially come for the Twin Ports’ uniquely crisp air and an endless lake horizon, but the close sense of community and distinct soundtrack leave a lasting impression.
Institutions such as the University of Minnesota Duluth, the College of St. Scholastica, and Lake Superior College help fuel a growing arts and culture scene, including the vinyl revival. The growing population of young adults in the area with an interest in music and community has helped independent record stores become iconic and beloved establishments in the Twin Ports area.
The record store industry in Duluth has seen many changes, including the closing of its Electric Fetus location in 2021. As of 2026, many new stores in the area have opened, and some have even expanded their locations. These stores are a cornerstone in the music scene and offer curated selections, live performances, and Record Store Day celebrations that draw crowds even during the Twin Ports’ stretches of unpredictable weather.
Record Store Day 2026: 14 vinyl exclusives to look for- River City Records & Books
- Annex Novelty Shop
- Collectors Connection
- Globe News
- The Groove Shop
- KEBS Records
River City Records & Books
River City Records & Books has helped revitalize Duluth’s music scene as a vibrant community gathering space. Since relocating from Wisconsin to a new Duluth storefront in 2023, the shop has established itself as an essential resource for vinyl, CDs, books, comics, and movies, and has also become a unique outdoor performance venue. It’s a warm, inviting environment located in the Lincoln Park craft district, one of Duluth’s most artistic and music-focused neighborhoods.
River City Records works directly with local artists and musicians to get their music stocked on the shelves. The shop also accepts fliers for upcoming shows, making it a go-to spot for discovering upcoming live events. “It's nice to spread local music and to get everyone excited about it,” says store manager Dury Nelson.
For Record Store Day, Nelson curates a lineup of live performances every year, and opens up the loading dock behind the building as a makeshift stage. The 2026 lineup includes seven different sets categorized by two genres, folky and punky. As the bands play on the loading dock, their music flows into the store, providing browsing customers with a live soundtrack while they hunt for their next obsession.
Address: 1814 W Superior St., Duluth, Minnesota
Hours: 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Monday-Saturday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m, Sunday
Facebook: River City Records & Books
Instagram: @rivercityduluth
Annex Novelty Shop
Residing in West Duluth’s eclectic Spirit Valley neighborhood, Annex Novelty Shop feels like a time capsule from a simpler era. Owner Nathaniel Belcher’s dedication to preserving traditional record-collecting methods gives his store’s shopping experience a uniquely vintage vibe. While many record stores display merchandise on shelves to maximize space and exposure, Annex relies on milk crates. “For me, crate digging was always the thing,” Belcher says. “It’s how records were sold for years. My mom talked about how it was even like that when she went to stores growing up.”
Annex was founded as a simple headshop at its old location in downtown Duluth. Belcher’s love for collecting records eventually bled into his business model. “I’m not an expert on records or any music,” he says. “I just always liked being around it. We always listened to records at the old shop back in the day, and people started asking if we were buying and selling, and eventually we said yes to that.” Annex’s collection specializes in classic hip-hop and rap records, adding to the store’s nostalgic and old-school feel.
Alongside their carefully curated record collection, Annex is a supportive space for local artists to sell a variety of handmade soaps, jewelry, glass work, prints, and watercolor paintings. Many of Belcher’s close friends have helped fill up the shop with products after their most recent move in 2013. More recently, Annex has hosted live performances and DJs.
Address: 316 N Central Ave., Duluth, Minnesota
Hours: 3 p.m.-8 p.m., Monday-Saturday; 2 p.m.-6 p.m., Sunday
Facebook: Annex Novelty Shop
Instagram: @annexnovelty
Collectors Connection
Collectors Connection is a cherished Twin Ports staple for music lovers, film enthusiasts, and comic collectors. The original location opened 40 years ago in Superior, Wisconsin, and now there’s a Duluth store at the Miller Hill Mall. Both shops offer a wide variety of vinyl, CDs, and rare, higher-end collectables. “We’ve been selling records for as long as I can remember, longer than I’ve been working here for sure,” says Ben Myers, store manager of the Superior location. “Recently we’ve been stocking new vinyl, and that’s been selling a lot along with our used vinyl.”
Both locations maintain welcoming environments where it’s possible to take your time to browse, and maybe even discover something that you never knew that you needed.
Addresses: 1616 Tower Ave., Superior, Wisconsin; 1600 Miller Trunk Highway, Duluth, Minnesota
Hours: Superior Location: 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Monday-Friday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday; closed Sunday
Duluth Location: 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Monday-Thursday; 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday; 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday
Facebook: Collector’s Connection (Duluth, MN)
Instagram: @collectorsconnectiontwinports
Globe News
In the heart of Downtown Superior, Wisconsin, Globe News embodies the community’s dedication to preserving historic storefronts. Founded in 1953, the iconic corner store has always sold records, but it wasn’t until 2015 that music became a core product. Globe News absorbed leftover stock from the now-defunct Vinyl Cave, which was previously next door, and now uses the collection in its own space.
Owner John Fritsche emphasizes the human connection that record collecting provides, and aims to maximize people’s ability to do so by keeping prices affordable and hosting game nights. According to Fritsche, the store specializes in classic rock records, “People are looking for what they grew up listening to, driving around with Mom and Dad, and so that’s the stuff that I try to keep on the shelves.” Additionally, Fritsche maintains a strong connection to the local music scene by selling tickets for Sacred Heart Music Center and Homegrown Music Festival.
Address: 1430 Tower Ave, Superior, Wisconsin
Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday-Thursday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Friday and Saturday
Facebook: Globe News
Instagram: @globenewssuperior
The Groove Shop
Near the shore of Chequamegon Bay in Ashland, Wisconsin, sits The Groove Shop. The owner, Jesse Martinez, first opened his store’s original location on August 1, 1997, in Rockford, Illinois, and moved to the quiet port town of Ashland 10 years later. Having already achieved success in the music industry under the name DJ Jes One, Martinez is now focused on running a tattoo studio, coffee shop, and record store all in one building.
The records are mainly curated from Jesse’s personal collection, alongside rare albums from artists you may have never heard of. The Groove Shop is where these artists' legacies live on. Martinez wants his customers to gain a new appreciation of music by the time they walk out of the store with new records for their collection.
Address: 713 Main St E, Ashland, Wisconsin
Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday-Saturday; closed Sunday
Facebook: The Groove Shop / Grove Shop North
Instagram: @grooveshoprecords
KEBS Records
For a fun day trip, head 90 minutes west of Duluth to KEBS Records. Dubbed “the world's smallest record store,” the 8-by-10-foot business functions as a vinyl-focused record store, hyper-local radio station, and multimedia converter. What KEBS lacks in size and hours of operation, it makes up for in character.
KEBS is open two days every two weeks on Friday, 12 p.m.-5 p.m and Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Despite this, the connection between customers and the owner, Tim “Edwards” Verthein, is incomparable. Within minutes of opening, the tiny location is flooded with customers who begin eagerly sifting through the latest finds. One of the store’s biggest highlights of the year is Record Store Day, when they host a sidewalk event selling all vinyl for $1 each. The record: One customer walked out with a whopping 255 records in 2025.
KEBS is a pure reflection of Verthein’s lifelong passion to be a music archivist. He claims to have bought his first record at the age of four and uses much of his personal collection in the store today. As the owner puts it, “When you buy a record, you get to hold it in your hand. You own it. There's no digital rights management. You get to play it on any record player that you choose. …You even get another song on the flipside for no extra charge! Now try that with an MP3!”
Address: 311 2nd St., Bovey, Minnesota
Hours: Every two weeks, Friday, 12 p.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Facebook: KEBS Records
Website: kebsrecords.com
The Sturgeon Sound is Ellie Adams (designer/writer), Oliver Heck (videographer/writer), and Gavin Weiers (photographer/writer). Their mission is to document the Twin Ports DIY music scene. Follow their work at @thesturgeonsound.
