Missouri RSD FAQ
Missouri has 63 brick-and-mortar record stores spread across 24 cities, making it one of the strongest vinyl states in the Midwest. St. Louis leads with 14 shops, Kansas City has 13, and Columbia and Springfield each have five. You will also find stores in Cape Girardeau, St. Joseph, Jefferson City, Sedalia, Branson, Joplin, and a string of suburbs and small towns in between. Missouri’s two anchor cities sit on opposite ends of I-70, and the corridor between them is dotted with shops that make the state a natural for a vinyl road trip. Use our directory above to search, filter by town, and start planning your route. You can also browse the full Record Store Directory to explore shops in all 50 states and U.S. territories.
St. Louis has 14 record stores, and the scene is spread across the city and its inner suburbs. Euclid Records, established in 1981, operates out of an 8,000-square-foot, three-story space in Webster Groves and is one of the most respected independent record stores in the Midwest. Vintage Vinyl in the Delmar Loop in University City has been a St. Louis institution for more than four decades. Music Record Shop is a popular destination for new and used vinyl. Dead Wax Records and Planet Score Records in Maplewood are both strong community shops. Wax Rats Records on Cherokee Street leans into rock, punk, metal, and jazz. CIRCA: NOW! Records, Joe’s Records STL (open since 2004), The Record Space, Infinite Spin Records, and Frenchtown Records, Antiques & More round out the city. The metro also includes Slackers in South County, CD Warehouse, and Record Exchange.
Kansas City has 13 record stores and a vinyl scene that rivals St. Louis in depth and variety. Josey Records is one of the largest record stores in the Midwest, carrying a massive selection of new and used vinyl, CDs, cassettes, and other media. Mills Record Company in Westport is the neighborhood’s longest-running record shop. BlacKCat Vinyl in the Crossroads Arts District hosts live performances alongside vinyl sales. Revolution Records carries records, books, and zines. Sister Anne’s Records and Coffee pairs vinyl with a coffee shop. Records with Merritt is a collector-focused shop. Prospero’s Books is a legendary three-story bookstore with vinyl across multiple floors. The Vinyl Underground at 7th Heaven, Earwaxx Records & More, GotWhatULike Records, Boss Vintage, It’s a Beautiful Day, and Boomerang fill out the city.
Columbia, home to the University of Missouri, has five record stores serving the college-town community. Hitt Records is located downtown near campus and carries a curated selection of new and used vinyl. B Side Record Store and King Theodore Records are both strong independent shops. Slackers brings its multi-location chain selection to town, and Vintage Stock inside Columbia Mall rounds out the options. Mizzou’s student population keeps the used bins turning over and brings a steady stream of interesting titles into the market. Columbia sits right on I-70 between Kansas City and St. Louis, making it a natural midpoint stop on any Missouri vinyl road trip.
Springfield has five record stores, anchored by two names. Heavy Heads Records has two Springfield locations (Downtown and South), giving the city strong coverage. Stick It In Your Ear is a Springfield institution with more than 30 years in business. City Music and Vintage Stock round out the scene. Springfield’s position in the Ozarks makes it the vinyl hub for all of southwest Missouri, and the shops here benefit from a loyal local following. Heavy Heads Recordsalso has a location in Branson inside the Apple Tree Mall, which extends the brand into Missouri’s tourism corridor.
Missouri’s smaller towns have more vinyl than most people expect. Dig It! Record Barn in Joplin bills itself as the premier vinyl destination in southwest Missouri. In St. Joseph, Kool Kat’s Music Exchange, The Lucky Tiger (vintage clothing, vinyl, and curiosities), and The Music Exchange inside the Saint Joe Antique Mart give the city three shops. Cape Girardeau has Annie Laurie’s, PMac Music (open since 1996), and Spectrum Record Lounge. Jefferson City has In The Groove Records and Slackers. Sedalia has Jammin’ Nuggets Music and Josey Records. Rinehart’s Music & Video in Kirksville and Wound For Sound in Greenwood fill out the map. Small-town Missouri shops reward the detour.
Josey Records is one of the largest independent record stores in the Midwest, with a Missouri location in Kansas City and a second location in Sedalia. The Kansas City store carries a massive selection of new and used vinyl, CDs, cassettes, DVDs, and other media in a sprawling retail space that can easily fill an afternoon of digging. Josey is known for deep used bins, a strong trade-in culture, and a community-first approach that includes events and in-store happenings. If you are visiting Kansas City for the first time and want to see what Missouri’s vinyl scene is all about, Josey Records is the must-visit.
Slackers is a Missouri-based entertainment retail chain with four locations across the state: Chesterfield (inside St. Louis Premium Outlets), Columbia, Jefferson City, and St. Peters (inside Mid Rivers Mall). Slackers carries new and used vinyl, CDs, DVDs, video games, and collectibles. The stores operate on a buy-sell-trade model, which keeps the used inventory turning over regularly. Slackers fills a different niche than the indie shops, offering high-volume selection and the kind of browsing experience where you might walk in looking for vinyl and leave with a stack of CDs and a vintage game cartridge as well.
Most Missouri record stores carry a mix of new and used vinyl, and many stock CDs, cassettes, and other formats. Euclid Records in St. Louis has one of the deepest used selections in the Midwest across its three floors. Josey Records in Kansas City is built for used digging with massive bins across genres. Vintage Vinyl in University City, Stick It In Your Ear in Springfield, and PMac Music in Cape Girardeau all carry strong used inventories. Slackers and Vintage Stock at their multiple locations operate trade-in models that keep used bins constantly refreshed. Formats and inventory vary by shop, so it is always worth calling ahead or checking a store’s website if you are hunting something specific.
Missouri’s record stores cover every genre. Wax Rats Records on Cherokee Street in St. Louis specializes in rock, punk, metal, and jazz. CD Warehouse in St. Louis focuses on classic rock and metal. BlacKCat Vinyl in Kansas City’s Crossroads district carries a curated selection with a lean toward soul, funk, and indie. GotWhatULike Records and Earwaxx Records & More in KC cater to hip-hop and R&B collectors. Revolution Records stocks records alongside books and zines with an alternative bent. Euclid Records, Josey Records, and Vintage Vinyl carry the full spectrum from jazz and blues to country, classical, and world music. St. Louis’s blues and jazz heritage and Kansas City’s jazz and soul traditions run deep in the local shops.
Missouri is a major Record Store Day state, and shops across both Kansas City and St. Louis participate every year. Record Store Day takes place every April, with a second drop on Black Friday in November, and Missouri stores celebrate with exclusive limited-edition releases, in-store events, live music, and early-morning lines. Vintage Vinyl in University City, Euclid Records in St. Louis, Josey Records in Kansas City, and Mills Record Company in Westport are among the most prominent RSD participants in the state. Smaller shops in Columbia, Springfield, and beyond also carry exclusive titles. Check the official Record Store Day store locator to confirm which Missouri shops are participating and plan your visit early. Lines at popular St. Louis and KC locations can form well before doors open.
A few practical tips will make your visits smoother. Missouri’s two main vinyl cities, St. Louis and Kansas City, are about four hours apart on I-70, with Columbia sitting right at the midpoint. Within each metro, shops are spread across neighborhoods and suburbs, so plan your route. Missouri charges sales tax (varies by city, typically 7-10%), so factor that into your budget. Summer heat and humidity in Missouri can be intense, so never leave vinyl in your car, especially in July and August. Bring cash as a backup since not every shop takes cards. And talk to the staff. Missouri’s record store community runs deep on both sides of the state, and the people behind the counters tend to know the local music scene inside and out.
Yes. In Kansas City, BlacKCat Vinyl is in the Crossroads Arts District, one of the city’s most popular visitor neighborhoods. Mills Record Company is in Westport, another go-to area for dining and nightlife. In St. Louis, Vintage Vinyl is on the Delmar Loop, one of the city’s most iconic streets. Euclid Records in Webster Groves is a short drive from Forest Park, the Zoo, and the Arch. In Branson, Heavy Heads Records is inside the Apple Tree Mall. Columbia’s shops are walkable from the University of Missouri campus. Springfield’s shops pair with exploring the Route 66 corridor. Wherever Missouri tourism takes you, there is a record store nearby.
Missouri is an excellent state for rare and collectible vinyl, thanks to the depth of both the St. Louis and Kansas City scenes. Euclid Records in St. Louis has been sourcing vinyl since 1981 and regularly surfaces collectible titles across jazz, blues, rock, and soul. Vintage Vinyl in the Delmar Loop has more than four decades of collector connections. Joe’s Records STL, open since 2004, carries collectible stock. In Kansas City, Josey Records benefits from a constant stream of trade-ins, and Records with Merritt is a collector-focused shop. Planet Score Records in Maplewood and Dead Wax Records in St. Louis are also strong sources. Missouri’s blues, jazz, and soul heritage means that locally relevant titles from those genres surface in shops across the state.
Absolutely. Missouri has shops for every experience level. Josey Records in Kansas City is an ideal starting point for new collectors because of its massive, well-organized inventory and staff who enjoy helping people discover vinyl. Euclid Records in St. Louis has a welcoming atmosphere spread across three browsable floors. Hitt Records in Columbia has a curated, approachable selection in a college-town setting. Music Record Shop in St. Louis and Mills Record Company in Kansas City are both friendly shops where the staff are happy to make recommendations. If you are not sure what to buy, ask what is playing on the shop’s turntable or look for a staff picks section. Many Missouri shops also carry turntables and accessories.