Lake City Books Expanding to New Capitol Square Location with Wine Bar

Lake City Books, Madison’s downtown indie bookstore, is moving from its current location at 107 N Hamilton St to a larger location across the Capitol Square in July 2026. The new location at 120 S Carroll St will allow for more books, more events, and have a wine bar.

The new space will feature a 36 foot long wall of books with a rolling ladder, a gorgeous mid-century style bar, and an outdoor patio. The wine bar will have a tasteful and simple menu hand picked by Andrea Hillsey of Square Wine Co., plus non-alcoholic drinks like kombucha and sparkling water.

Lake City Books is a woman-owned independent bookstore in downtown Madison selling new and used books for all ages since opening in April 2023. The bookstore will continue to carry the latest popular releases, used titles from recent years, diverse children’s books, and literary gifts, but now with more room to expand their selection. This move is being announced just as Lake City celebrates its three year anniversary on the weekend April 18-19, 2026.

Lake City Books owner and Madison native Molly Fish says the store has grown rapidly in the three years since opening and has outgrown its current location. The overwhelming community support they’ve seen has proven to Fish that downtown Madison is ready for a larger space to gather that’s dedicated to books. The new location in the Pressman Building, owned by Urban Land Interests, is ideally located near popular spots like Wonderstate Coffee, Canteen, Tornado Room, and just a few blocks from the bookstore’s current location.

The current location will stay open until the end of June 2026. Grand Opening of the new space is scheduled for the week of July 6th.
To learn more about Lake City Books or join the mailing list, head to lakecitybooks.com.

QUOTES:
“I can’t wait to share this beautiful new location with our community. We will have space for more books, more people, more events, plus the bonus of a wine bar!” - Molly Fish, Owner of Lake City Books

“With this new location, I believe Lake City Books will become an iconic destination in downtown Madison. It will be bigger and brighter but with all the indie charm and blue bookshelves that people already know and love.” - Molly Fish, Owner of Lake City Books