What are the opening hours?

Monday 10am - 6pm Tuesday 10am - 6pm Wednesday 10am - 6pm Thursday 10am - 6pm Friday 10am - 7pm Saturday 10am - 6pm Sunday 10am - 4pm

Storyhouse Bookpub

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Des Moines, IA
Storyhouse Bookpub

An independent bookstore building reading communities around bookish events in Des Moines, Iowa.

08/14/2026

Meet Storyhouse's newest Bookpub Sub, Taylor!

Taylor is usually tending to more plants than there’s room for or reading a book that leaves them seeing the world a little differently. They gravitate toward stories that blur the lines between literary fiction, speculative fiction, and social commentary. Outside of books, they spend time in community, curating the perfect playlist, or trying new foods.

Taylor is also the host of one of our newest book clubs, Touch Grass: A People and Planet Book Club: A space to explore our relationship with the environment and each other 🌱 Get all the details + RSVP on our website! See what they're reading below 👇

September 10: The Lesson by Cadwell Turnbull
October 8: Te****le by Rita Indiana
November 12: Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

08/13/2026

It's opening day at the Iowa State Fair! 🎡🌽

We're getting in the fair spirit the only way we know how: books and butter! 💛

Taking the shuttle to the fairgrounds from the Capitol? Stop into Storyhouse before you go! Browse away in the stacks, ask a bookseller a recommendation, and collect a stamp for your Iowa Indie Bookshop Tour passport. Trust us, nothing goes better with fried food on-a-stick than a good read!

08/12/2026

The summer humidity is sticking around for awhile, but these fall book club selections have us daydreaming of crisp air and cozy nights at the bookstore! 🍁📚

**KISSING BOOKS DATE CORRECTIONS**
September 21
October 19
November 16

**NOT YOUR DAD’S HISTORY DATE CORRECTIONS**
October 22
November 12

All your favorite Storyhouse book clubs are back, PLUS we've got 2 BRAND NEW book clubs to join! 🐻 Swipe to see what each club is reading September - November . . . . .

🌱 Touch Grass a Planet & People Book Club, hosted by Taylor!
• A space to explore stories about our relationships with the environment & each other. Thought-provoking and genre-spanning.

🧡 Growing Readers: a Co-Reading Club for Kids and Their Grownups, hosted by Sara!
• A time for young readers (6-10 years) and their grownups to enjoy the magical wonder of reading together.

08/01/2026

Happy August! ☀️ Mark your calendars and join us for any of our 8 book clubs meeting this month! . . . . .

• Spellbound | August 9 @ 4:30pm
Beasts of Carnaval by Rosália Rodrigo

• That’s What She Said | August 11 @ 7pm
On Witness and Respair by Jesmyn Ward

• Kissing Books | August 17 @ 7pm
The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig

• Re-Imagining Masculinity | August 19 @ 7pm
Pleasure Activism by adrienne maree brown

• Just Trust Me | August 20 @ 7pm
Fabulous Bodies by Chuck Tingle

• Sapph-iction | August 21 @ 6:30pm
Hammajang Luck by Makana Yamamoto

• Between the Panels | August 25 @ 6:30pm
Drowned City by Don Brown

• Caught in the Middle | September 1 @ 4:30pm
Casting April by Wendy Lu

07/30/2026

Happy Hinterland Music Festival weekend, Des Moines! 🦋✨

Gabby's curated the perfect books to pair with the artists you're most excited for! Stop in to escape the heat and snag a good book to keep you entertained between sets 🎵

07/29/2026

We’re THRILLED to welcome Wendy Martin, author of the hit Webtoon series turned graphic novel, Castle Swimmer, back to Storyhouse! 🌊

Join us for The Author Afterparty on Saturday, September 19th at 6pm to celebrate the release of Castle Swimmer, Volume 4! Wendy Martin will be in conversation with fellow Iowa comic creator, Paula Sevenbergen! Author of the comic book series Flow.

This event is ticketed - $10 includes your drink, + desserts by a Des Moines favorite, Rosechu ! 🎟 🩵

07/28/2026

Happy Pub Day to debut author, T.C. Kemper and her novel The Ginghams! This delightful middle grade mystery of one of Gabby and Maren's most anticipated books of the year ☺️

Gabby says: "The Ginghams is honestly incredible! We love the story and the message about the importance of being yourself. This is such a fun mystery, the kind that grips you right from the jump. There is so much great messaging in here for kids, and this book tackles huge topics like censorship, feminism, and conformity in an easily digestible way. The characters are lovable and zany with huge hearts and the kind of courage only found in kids who have been given the freedom to embrace who they are."

07/27/2026

Bring it in, poetry-people! We’ve got William Bortz in the house chatting with Kelsey Bigelow - Poetry about his forthcoming collection, I’ll Leave a Light on for You! We’ll chat over drinks in the bookstore before heading up to Raygun’s mezzanine where our dear DSM poets will read and discuss - It’s gonna be fun! 🍻

Grab $5 tickets (covers your drinks) at storyhousebookpub.com for Friday, August 7 at 7pm at Storehouse Bookpub. Will and Kelsey’s books will be for sale and they will sign copies after the reading 🕶️

07/25/2026

Calling all Waldo searchers! 🐻 🔍

There's just one week left to join in on the East Village scavenger hunt before our Find Waldo Local Storytime & Grand Prize Drawing on Saturday, August 1st! Stop into Storyhouse this weekend to grab your stamp card, explore the neighborhood, and win some prizes!

For the Grand Prize Drawing: Make sure to bring your completed (or partly completed) stamp cards back to Storyhouse to be entered to win a deluxe set of Waldo books! We have a blast setting up a rapid on-site Waldo search across Storyhouse, RAYGUN and Daisy Chain so come ready to hunt! We’ll read some stories too. Beginning at 10:30am.

Even if you didn’t get the chance to do Waldo this summer, we would love to see you there! 👋

07/22/2026

Bring the family for a back-to-school book party with Minnesota children’s author, Keenan Jones, and Des Moines author Abena Sankofa Imhotep. Hosted by Sankofa Literary & Empowerment Group and Storyhouse Bookpub at Willkie House! We’re celebrating Keenan’s Saturday Mornings at the ‘Shop 💈 with free haircuts, storytime, snacks, and a book sale!

What to expect:
Keenan will read his children’s book celebrating the community, culture and joy of barbershops, Saturday Mornings at the ‘Shop, followed by a short discussion with Abena and a time for questions and chatting with kids. Stick around afterward for haircuts with Universal Barbershop, refreshments from Daisy Chain Coffee, and a book signing with Keenan and Abena! Both authors’ books will be available for sale through Storyhouse Bookpub. Free haircuts will be first come, first served as time allows.

Address

505 East Grand Avenue, Suite #102
Des Moines, IA
50309

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 6pm
Tuesday	10am - 6pm
Wednesday	10am - 6pm
Thursday	10am - 6pm
Friday	10am - 7pm
Saturday	10am - 6pm
Sunday	10am - 4pm

Website

https://storyhousebookpub.com/

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