Odyssey Map Store

Closed. It is now just an empty store front next to an attorney’s office.

I had driven past this place a million times, and every time I thought, «I should check that place out.» When I discovered that they would soon be closing their doors forever. I decided that I had better make my move.- It was now or never.
I have loved maps since I was a little boy. In me, they stir a completely innocent drive for adventure. Whether the map is three hundred years old or it is a brand new road atlas, they make me want to set out– see something I’ve never seen– stand on the edge of that canyon and watch that river rush by– walk though that forest to find that open plain and the mountain that lay beyond. Questions buzz in my mind when I start looking at maps: Could I drive to Alaska? Could I drive to the Straight of Magellan? Then I look at the map and think, «Yes, if I took this road to this road. If I got on the ferry here…» When I look at a map my chest gets heavy, and I think I could do something ridiculous and nearly impossible. I wonder: Is this passion for adventure being lost? Do kids look at maps and still feel this way? Or is it simply taken for granted? «Of course, I could get to the Straight of Magellan, but why not just take an airplane?»
I look at a map, and it helps me remember how truly enormous the world is, and how insignificant we all are in comparison– not even a speck on her face. Does anyone remember how big the world is? Or how easy it is to get lost?- Then again, it is almost impossible to get lost anymore. Everyone has a smart phone with GPS. If you need to get somewhere just plug it in, and an emotionless computer generated voice will tell you where to turn. There isn’t even any need to look at the world around you.- Just look at the road and listen to that voice. What happened to getting lost? What experience could be more human?- You are on an adventure, and suddenly you have no idea where you are. You should have found the highway and hour ago, but somehow you ended up on this gravel road sitting in front of a corn field, a forest, a cliff, or some dilapidated shack. The frustration sets in, and you pull over. You pause, knock open the glove box, and reach for the map. With quiet determination you unfold you it, and the frustration falls away as you try to solve the puzzle. Emotion is sublimated into analysis. Suddenly it all hits you. You check the map again and then a third time. You cannot help but laugh.- You have found yourself. A journey that had become mundane and frustrating finds a new fire and life. Your resolve is redoubled.
This store is great, and the woman that works here is very sweet and helpful. I was interested in finding a map of Fountain Square (my home), and she pulled out an old, heavy, dusty book of insurance maps from the 40’s. Finally, we found it. Fountain Square and Fletcher Place in 1941. Every building accounted for, whether it was stone, brick, or wood. She told me that insurance companies would use these to determine prices for homeowner’s insurance. If your home was wood and it was surrounded by other wooden homes your rates would be higher than someone with a brick house surrounded by other brick homes because the risk of a fire destroying it was much greater. I moved my finger down the map, and I found my house. She said she could make a reproduction, and I immediately said yes.
Almost everything is discounted, and they have maps of all kinds from antique maps (some over 100 years old) to inflatable globes to maps of Mars. If you love maps or just need a map of the city to get around you can find something here. It is sad to see such a unique business vanish.

Holy cow, Jon wasn’t kidding! Almost everything is on sale here — I got a map of the world that is 84″ wide by 54″ tall for $ 75 after tax. The original price on it was over $ 200. The woman who was working was really, really nice and very helpful, unrolling every map I wanted to see on their big map table.
This place is awesome, I highly suggest you go before it is no longer an option.

Maps make this man happy. Maps are calming, creative and chart our tour around the world.
When I heard about Odyssey Map Store closing… I was bummed. I love map stores. I knew they were closing (August 31^st, today) soon so we had to stop by, and we did.
And get this… they’re staying open for another month or two until the building sells — so finish reading this review and go.
Most of the store is 25% to 50% off. They have more than just fold out maps. They have celestial maps /​prints. They have Michelin posters. Globes, inflatable, classic and geodesic. They have antique maps, city maps, county maps, topographical maps. And, yes, monster maps! A map of the world’s monsters. It’s there. It’s fun.
If you walk out of there without a map you need then you’re not looking for a map.
Plus, they’re remarkably cheap now too. With the lowered prices… they’ll also mount the maps on foam board too for very cheap.
We bought one of the most fascinating posters I’ve ever seen — a satellite topographical map of the rocky mountains.
The owner is incredibly helpful and kind and fun to talk to.
I’m way into maps so I suppose that’s a caveat but whether you go to fawn over maps or if it’s an absolute need based situation (like your need to have a map of the Antilles or Cairo) then this is a good place to start.