Tickleberry Moon: Columbus's Specialty Baby Boutique for Premium Gear, Nursery Furniture, and Hard-to-Find Brands
Tickleberry Moon is a boutique baby and children's retail shop in Columbus focused on premium and specialty gear, nursery furniture, and clothing that sits well above the big-box baseline in both quality and curation.
What the Store Carries
The inventory leans toward brands that don't turn up at Babies R Us or Target. You'll find convertible and heirloom-quality nursery furniture, strollers and carriers from lines like UPPAbaby, Ergobaby, and similar specialty manufacturers, plus a strong selection of organic and natural fiber clothing for newborns through toddlers. The furniture side of the store covers cribs, dressers, and gliders in styles that read as intentionally designed rather than assembled from a flatpack catalog.
Gear categories include car seats, baby carriers, and feeding products, with enough floor stock to actually handle and compare options side by side rather than ordering blind online. That hands-on comparison is one of the clearest practical reasons to make the trip rather than defaulting to Amazon.
Pricing and What to Expect
Tickleberry Moon is positioned at the premium end of the Columbus baby retail market. Nursery furniture packages can run well into the thousands depending on configuration, and strollers from the brands they carry typically start in the $500 to $1,000+ range. Clothing and smaller accessories offer lower entry points, but this is not the store to visit if the goal is finding the cheapest car seat available in central Ohio.
First-time visitors generally find the store well-organized for browsing, with staff available to walk through product comparisons. If you're doing a nursery build or researching a specific stroller system, going in with a few brand names or feature priorities already noted makes the conversation more efficient.
How It Compares to Other Columbus Options
The most direct comparison in Columbus is Buy Buy Baby, which operates at Polaris and carries many of the same premium stroller and car seat brands at similar or occasionally sale-discounted prices but with a much larger, warehouse-style floor and a more transactional shopping experience. Tickleberry Moon's advantage is narrower, more deliberate selection and a staff that tends to know the products in depth rather than scanning barcodes.
For parents primarily focused on price over brand, Once Upon a Child locations in Columbus (including the Henderson Road location on the north side) offer resale gear and clothing at a fraction of new retail. A gently used UPPAbaby stroller from Once Upon a Child can run $150 to $300 versus $700 or more new. The two stores serve different needs, and plenty of Columbus parents shop both, depending on the category.
For nursery furniture specifically, Restoration Hardware Baby & Child at Easton is another Columbus option, though its aesthetic runs more toward the classic-neutral and the pricing is aggressive even by premium standards.
Who This Store Suits
Parents who want to physically evaluate a stroller before committing, who are building a nursery with specific aesthetic goals, or who want specialty brands not stocked at mass retailers will get the most out of Tickleberry Moon. It's also a reasonable destination for baby shower gifts when the recipient has registered there or has noted a preference for a specific brand the store carries.
It's less suited for parents working with a tight budget, those who already know exactly what they want and are ready to order online, or anyone primarily shopping for basics like diapers, formula, or generic swaddle sets.
Practical Details
Tickleberry Moon is located in Columbus, and hours should be confirmed directly through the store's website or by phone before making a trip, particularly on weekdays when boutique hours can differ from weekend availability. The store does not operate as a warehouse or clearance outlet, so don't expect markdowns as a default. Parking at the location is generally straightforward compared to higher-traffic Columbus retail corridors like Easton or Polaris.
If you're planning a nursery consultation or want to test multiple stroller models in the same visit, going on a weekday morning tends to mean less foot traffic and more floor time with staff. For registry setup, calling ahead to ask about the registry process is worth the two minutes, since boutique registries work differently from the Babies R Us or Amazon systems many Columbus parents default to.
