The Brain Shoppe

Rory Chien

2024-01

A great selection of puzzles and gifts. The quality of puzzles is very good!

Lisa LeViere

2023-10

This is a great small business! Wonderful staff. Fun environment and unique selection of items. Grabbed a couple cute holiday gifts for my kids!

Angela

2024-01

Very unique and fun selection! Do wish that they had more items that could be tested out... I didn't end up buying a magnetic stone toy because I couldn't test it out and see how big the stones were.

Laurie Rubin

2023-12

Great store in Ithaca to buy unusual science/critical thinking gifts for kids. Love the 3 dimensional animal puzzles.

Ryan Chaplin

2024-04

Great local shop!! Great, fun, and unique gifts for you or the nerd in your life.

S

2023-09

Awesome little shop with a bunch of super cool puzzles. There are a few puzzles on display that you should come in and try, even if you don’t buy anything. But you should consider buying something, if not for yourself, then for a gift. They also have some cool mystery games to buy and play with friends.

Thao Ly

2023-11

I can spend hours in this little shop. They have all sorts of brain-related products, from books to games to toys. And for different ages, from 2y old to 100 :)) Found some interesting books and a cute pencil.

Lisa Snyder

2023-12

Such a fun store with really cool things to learn and have fun at the same time! Great customer service!

Wendy Babiak

2023-08

What a fun store! We took my bestie there after we ran an errand close by, just for fun. I ended up walking out with a couple of fantastic fidget toys, and B. got his favorite old puzzle. And I could tell my friend, in from a red state, found the place a reprieve; what?! a store for people who like to use their noggins? That’s a thing? It is! And that’s wonderful.

Bhavneet Dhami

2021-05

Fabulous customer service! They personally emailed me and offered to replace or refund an item that was out of stock. They also hand delivered my order at no cost! My niece loves her new Smarty Cube 1-2-3 and my family and I are enjoying Pick Up Sticks!

Michael Breed

2023-06

This little shop is a hidden gem on the Ithaca Commons. It’s chock full of great puzzles and mind games. Everything is top-quality and the staff is great. The brunette working today is pretty cute to boot!

Iliyana Ilieva

2023-05

What a fun shop! It has a variety of puzzles, games, books and small gadgets designed to improve your mental plasticity. You can even try some of the games in store. Absolutely loved it such a great place to buy gifts from!

Allison Smith

2023-07

Great store with a well curated collection of puzzles, games and other curiosities. I work with children and found great options for engaging them in our work together.

Kathy Rutherford

2023-05

I could have spent so much time (and so much money) there. I love puzzles and this was one of the best curated puzzle offerings that I have seen. Unique, fascinating beautiful- all types of puzzles for sale! And I even picked up a few inspiring books. Great store!

Margie Austell

2023-05

Best Puzzle Store EVER!We love visiting the store in Ithaca every chance we get. When we can't visit in person, they always fill and ship my order promptly. Customer service is excellent in person, and the descriptions of the puzzles on the website are always accurate. I highly recommend this store for all puzzle lovers of all ages & skill levels.

Mark Perry

2020-05

A must-stop shoppe on the Commons with many fun and unique puzzles, games, toys and other engaging and stimulating items for everyone. Local family owned business. We love to try out the various items they have on display. Excellent spot for gifts. Very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful staff.

Brook Hanna

2022-05

We were lured in by the perpetual motion toys in the windows but we are so glad we walked through the door. A fun and unique selection of toys, puzzles, and games. We were traveling and had very little free space in the car so we reluctantly limited our purchase to a bunch of Observation Puzzles. Fortunately, I can shop online until we have an opportunity to visit the store again.

gohkawa

2022-05

My son and daughter would give this place 500 stars. Stopped by while visiting on vacation. Ended up staying here for quite a bit of time. The young lady employee was very kind and helped my kids out with clues when needed. Awesome puzzles, great staff. We ended up coming back again the next day to pick up a few more puzzles!

Stephanie Richter

2022-05

Nifty puzzles and interesting things. I purchased a wooden puzzle created by a local artist, as well as craftable 3D cardboard animal models. They're fairly priced, and they're fun and well-crafted. I'm not sure how much was unique/local, but I noted at least a few wooden puzzles were.

Julia Macchione

2021-05

This store is awesome. We came in here on a Thursday afternoon during COVID times (September), and they had plenty of hand sanitizers and sprays around to cleanse your hands while there. There are so many different puzzles, science kits and IQ games for people of all ages. We got gifts for all of my nieces and nephews here, and there were plenty of games suitable for adults. Even if you’re just walking around the area, it’s a cool place to check out and mess around with some of the many puzzles/brain teasers they have out on display!

Ben Krantz

2021-05

Stubbled upon the Brain Shoppe on a weekend trip to Ithaca. Fell in love with the store and spent plenty of time trying out puzzles. Staff was very friendly. I have since ordered online and shipping was fast and well packaged. Great store! If you are looking for a unique gift this is the place to go!

Zepyoor Khechadoorian

2023-05

This is my favorite shop in the commons and the owner(s) do a fantastic job curating puzzles, knick knacks, games, etc. Very happy to have something like this in town.

Fierce Mountain

2023-08

Very knowledgeable and friendly staff, wonderful stock of games and puzzles and other fun things. Perfect place for holiday and birthday shopping!

Olivia Wahl

2021-05

This is my son's favorite store in Ithaca. The staff is wonderfully accommodating and I need to give a HUGE shout out. Our younger son Henry received a gift certificate earlier in the year. Henry wanted to use his certificate for a puzzle set we found online. The staff did same-day door drop delivery and it just reminded us how important it is to shop locally. Supporting our local businesses is more important than ever. Thank you, Brain Shoppe for being awesome.

M O

2023-05

Super helpful & friendly shop. Great array of fun games and toys for all ages. High quality and educational to boot! Love this shop!

Jennifer Savran Kelly

2021-05

The Brain Shoppe has a wonderful range of fun and educational products at various prices and age levels. They delivered my order right to our front door and texted me to let me know it arrived. I love this store and am so glad to see they're still able to operate safely during the pandemic.

Sabel Salazar

2020-05

A really neat local store that sells really good quality products! I love the variety of puzzles and you will find something for all ages there :) Friendly staff as well, worth a look if you are buying for a kid in your life! (or a curious adult who loves puzzles!)

E.C. Barrett

2021-05

They hand-delivered birthday presents a friend had ordered for me. The bag and tissue paper were lovely and festive and they followed covid mask and contact-less procedure. The gifts are unique, fun, useful, and well-made. Highly recommend!

Michelle Hallock

2020-05

Great place to find unique gifts and quality items. The staff are super friendly and take time to tell you about different puzzles and kits. Just another great reason to shop local on the Commons!

Justina Fetterly

2020-05

The Brain Shoppe is THE shop on The Commons. A must-see-and-do store that is great for gifts of all ages but also great for hands-on fun (again, for all ages!). The service at the shop was outstanding, too. The owner was on the floor, and was engaged with customers - you could tell he was passionate about science, math, and learning. Great experience!