Home › Road trips › Heartland Record Trip: Kansas City to Des Moines
Heartland Record Trip: Kansas City to Des Moines
Kansas City, Lawrence's Massachusetts Street, Topeka's Time Machine, then Omaha and Des Moines.
Route: Kansas City → Lawrence → Topeka → Omaha → Des Moines · 14 record stores across 5 stops
Stop by stop
Stop 1: Westport and Midtown Kansas City
Gigantic Records
A Westport Road record shop that took over the former Records With Merritt space, with a friendly owner and a wide selection.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday.
1614 Westport Rd, Kansas City, MO 64111
Hours
Monday Closed Tuesday 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM Wednesday 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM Thursday 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM Friday 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM Saturday 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM Sunday Closed Mills Record Company
A Broadway Boulevard shop with a big stock of new and used vinyl, plus books, with a dog in the shop.
Tip: Open daily; used grading and prices are discussed by visitors, so check records before buying.
4045 Broadway Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64111
Hours
Monday 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM Tuesday 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM Wednesday 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM Thursday 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM Friday 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM Saturday 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM Sunday 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM Good Vibes Vinyl
Friendly Westport shop with reasonable prices and a well-loved shop cat, Casper.
Tip: Say hi to Casper the cat — he's practically the store's mascot.
3703 Main St, Kansas City, MO 64111, USA
Hours
Monday Closed Tuesday 11:30 AM - 7:00 PM Wednesday 11:30 AM - 7:00 PM Thursday 11:30 AM - 7:00 PM Friday 11:30 AM - 8:00 PM Saturday 11:30 AM - 8:00 PM Sunday 11:30 AM - 7:00 PM Sister Anne's Records & Coffee
A record shop and coffee house with records, CDs and merch, plenty of seating and pastries.
Tip: Open daily from 8am, so it works as a coffee stop between shops.
901 E 31st St, Kansas City, MO 64109
Hours
Monday 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Tuesday 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Wednesday 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Thursday 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Friday 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Saturday 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Sunday 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Josey Records - Kansas City
Kansas City branch of the Texas record chain, with a full basement of additional stock.
Tip: Don't skip the basement — it doubles the browsable inventory.
1815 McGee St, Kansas City, MO 64108, USA
Hours
Monday 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM Tuesday 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM Wednesday 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM Thursday 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM Friday 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM Saturday 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM Sunday 12:00 - 6:00 PM
Stop 2: Lawrence
Love Garden Sounds
Lawrence record store with honestly graded, reasonably priced vinyl and CDs, and staff who keep hunting until they find what you want.
Tip: Records are graded honestly, but check CD cases for cracks before you leave the shop.
822 1/2 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS 66044, USA
Hours
Monday 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM Tuesday 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM Wednesday 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM Thursday 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM Friday 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM Saturday 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM Sunday 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Stop 3: Topeka
Time Machine Records
A welcoming Topeka shop with a good selection of vinyl, an organised layout and a growing record stock as it clears stereo gear.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday; a good stop between Kansas City and Lawrence and farther west.
819 N Kansas Ave, Topeka, KS 66608
Hours
Monday Closed Tuesday 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM Wednesday 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM Thursday 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM Friday 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM Saturday 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM Sunday Closed
Stop 4: Omaha and Bellevue
Homer's Record Stores
Deep, well-organized Old Market shop with a standout metal and hardcore section.
Tip: Give yourself more time than you think you need — space is tight and the selection is huge.
1210 Howard St, Omaha, NE 68102, USA
Hours
Monday 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM Tuesday 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM Wednesday 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM Thursday 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM Friday 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM Saturday 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM Sunday 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM Grapefruit Records
Cozy Old Market shop with new and secondhand records, tucked next to an antique annex.
Tip: If they don't have what you're after, ask them to take your name — they'll look for it.
1125 Jackson St Ste 5, Omaha, NE 68102, USA
Hours
Monday Closed Tuesday 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM Wednesday 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM Thursday 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM Friday 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM Saturday 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM Sunday 12:00 - 5:00 PM Record Benders
A Bellevue shop with a large stock of tapes, CDs and vinyl and an owner with deep music knowledge.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday; stock is packed tightly.
2223 Franklin St, Bellevue, NE 68005
Hours
Monday Closed Tuesday 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM Wednesday 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM Thursday 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM Friday 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM Saturday 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM Sunday Closed 402 Vinyl
A shop in the middle of a mostly empty mall, selling new and used vinyl, cassettes, CDs and audio gear.
Tip: Open Wednesday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm. Enter through the mall.
1001 Fort Crook Rd N, Bellevue, NE 68005
Hours
Monday Closed Tuesday Closed Wednesday 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Thursday 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Friday 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Saturday 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Sunday Closed
Stop 5: Des Moines Record Hop
Zzz Records
A long-running Ingersoll shop with a big budget vinyl section, plenty of 7-inch singles, tapes and CDs.
Tip: Shorter Monday and Sunday hours (noon to 6pm).
2200 Ingersoll Ave, Des Moines, IA 50312
Hours
Monday 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM Tuesday 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM Wednesday 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM Thursday 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM Friday 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM Saturday 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM Sunday 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM Rogue Planet Music
A small Des Moines shop with an alternative bent, well divided into sections, with record players and accessories.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday.
4211 Chamberlain Ave, Des Moines, IA 50312
Hours
Monday Closed Tuesday 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM Wednesday 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM Thursday 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM Friday 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM Saturday 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM Sunday Closed Vinyl Cup Records
Light-filled Des Moines shop that is part record store, part vintage shop, part coffee stop, with a relaxed listening room and autographed, limited, and import pressings.
Tip: Grab a drink and use the listening room to hear records before you pick them. Open until 9 PM every night.
2702 Beaver Ave, Des Moines, IA 50310, USA
Hours
Monday 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM Tuesday 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM Wednesday 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM Thursday 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM Friday 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM Saturday 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM Sunday 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Hours and details come from public listings and may have changed. Small shops often keep short or irregular hours, so check or call before a long trip. See something wrong? Use Still open? in the app and we will look into it.
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