How an Antique Bookstore Landed Inside Wisconsin’s Largest Airport

Milwaukee’s Mitchell International has caught the country’s attention a few times this year. First, for its winter coat check, then for its recombobulation area.

Now, its one-of-a-kind bookstore is turning heads.

Renaissance Books, located landside (pre-security), was the first airport-based used bookstore in the world when it opened in 1979 and is currently the only one still open in the US (a similar shop at Raleigh-Durham International closed in 2017).

The shop’s jam-packed shelves have the right amount of chaos to suck you in, but enough organization to make finding your next read super easy.

Click here to take a look inside!

Staff members like Orange Mike, who’s been around since the shop opened, are a big help, too. All booksellers are in their 60s and have connections to Milwaukee’s pen and paper community. 

You may be wondering where Renaissance’s stock comes from. No, people don’t lug their used books to the airport. Instead, shelves are filled with leftover stock from book warehouses, as well as employee selections from nearby thrift stores.

EMMY GOLD – Congratulations to Ho-Chunk Nation on taking home the community’s first-ever Emmy at the 65th Chicago/Midwest Regional award ceremony earlier this month. Filmmakers Casey Brown and Rob Reider accepted the prize for their short film about Truman Lowe, a Ho-Chunk artist who gained notoriety for his sculptural technique that blended traditional woodworking with modern materials. You can watch the 6-minute film for free here.

FRIENDLIER SKIES – Heading into the busiest air travel month of the year, we wanted to shout out all pilots, flight crews, TSA agents, and airport employees including Robert Amankwah, who recently won MKE Airport’s Customer Service Award! Robert has worked as a wheelchair attendant at MKE for 13 years. MORE: Why flight crew gifts are always a good idea.

THE BIG SIX – President Biden’s second term will likely come down to how he performs in six key battleground states—including ours—according to the latest 2024 forecast from The Hill. “Wisconsin holds a special place for Democrats,” the publication wrote. “The party wants to keep up its winning streak including Biden’s 2020 victory and a Supreme Court win on abortion this year. But much like the other states where he previously squeaked by, Wisconsin could prove to be a challenge.”

GOOD GRADES – The state Department of Public Instruction (DPI) released its 12th annual round of report cards, where local schools are graded on factors like test scores and graduation rates. The results? 83% of rated public schools and 80% of private schools met, exceeded, or significantly exceeded expectations.

A quick reminder our UpNorthNews supporter drive is currently underway! As a small newsroom, we rely on reader donation drives a few times a year to support our goal of sharing Wisconsin news that’s positive, purposeful, and sometimes political.

Our December fundraising goal is $12,000. As always, this newsletter will always be free. But if you are able to give, thank you so very much!

It’s officially “the most wonderful time of the year”! But December can quickly turn into the most expensive, chaotic, time-sucking month when travel plans go wrong. 

That’s why we turned to AAA Wisconsin to find out the best and worst days, in terms of both price and crowds, for travelers this holiday season. 

The BEST Days for FLIERS:

Dec. 24-25; Dec. 28; Dec. 31

The WORST Days for FLIERS:

Dec. 21-22; Dec. 26; Jan. 2

TIP: You have certain rights if the airline messes up and/or your flight is canceled or delayed. Here’s when you qualify.

The BEST Days for DRIVERS:

Weekdays between December 4-14; Dec. 18-19; Dec. 24 (morning); Dec. 25; Dec. 29; Jan. 1

The WORST Days for DRIVERS:

December weekends; Dec. 1; Dec. 15; Dec. 20-23; Dec. 24 (afternoon); Dec. 26-28