Mother Murphy’s opens store in Champaign
For 54 years, Mother Murphy’s has been a staple in Normal, Illinois. The iconic headshop/emporium offers all things rock-n-roll and a large number of vinyl, incense, posters/tapestries, longboards, crystals, glassware, oddity items, clothing (including its own line), and much more.
Betty Anderson and Charlotte (Murphy) Radka founded Mother Murphy’s in 1968. Three years ago, three new co-owners took over Mother Murphy’s. Recently, the new owners Griffin Burns, Colton Walsh, and Noah Anderson finished the first store expansion in 54 years. The co-owners opened a new Mother Murphy’s in Champaign, located at 112 East University Avenue.

Mother Murphy’s photo
“Over the last three years we have had a good amount of people from Champaign come visit us in Normal,” said Griffin Burns. “And without fail, one of the questions we would get would be, ‘When are you all planning on coming to Champaign?’ It got to the point we just thought, why not?”
The owners want Champaign to make this Mother Murphy’s its own and are actively searching for and have been working on new collaborations and partnerships with “amazing” people in the C-U area.
“One of the best parts of what I do is working alongside with some of the most incredibly talented individuals in creating and bringing new ideas to life,” Burns said. “It could be a new product, event, art, music. If you can dream it up, we want to make it a reality.”

Mother Murphy’s photo
The owners want to continue to grow the legacy of Mother Murphy’s and share what they think is the greatest place on this planet.
“I always felt like Alice falling down the rabbit hole every time I visited Mother Murphy’s,” Burns said. “But when you boil it down to its very core, what makes Mother Murphy’s so special is the ability to leave your mark, which in turn becomes part of the overall experience. I like to think of it like being a canvas that anyone can add to.”
Mother Murphy’s can be reached by email at contact@mothermurphys.co, Facebook, and Instagram @mother.murphys.
The flagship store in Normal is located at 111 1/2 West North Street in Normal and can be reached by phone at (309) 665-9019. The Champaign phone contact is (309) 532-3694.
“We’re just grateful for Mother Murphy’s,” Burns said. “It really has a special place in all of our lives, and we hope that the people of Champaign get to experience and be apart of what Mother Murphy’s is all about.”
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