9 Best Shopping in Austin, Texas

This year-round, open-air market with roots stretching back to the early 1970s is the soul of the Drag. The unreconstructed hippie ambience is at least as much of a draw as the actual merchandise crafted and sold by various local artisans. The wares include jewelry, leatherwork, candles, photographs, paintings, sculpture, textiles, and the inevitable tie-dyed T-shirts. Note that the market is firmly regulated by the city, and all vendors must be licensed by a commission. Days and hours of operation have been changed and scaled down since COVID; current status updates can be found on their website and social media pages.

A South Congress landmark for decades, this place is impossible to miss—just look for the huge red boot above the door. Set amid trendy, touristy SoCo, Allens is anything but. More than a dozen brands of cowboy boots (including Frye, Justin, Lucchese, Liberty Black, and Tony Lama) are displayed on rows upon rows of shelves, along with other Western wear. If you're a newcomer to the boot world, study the store's website before your visit for some basics on proper fit. Staff members are exceptionally helpful.

South Congress is filled with shops that pack a nostalgia factor, from vintage goods to home cooking, but none is quite as sweet as this place, where bins upon bins of colorful sour candies, chocolates, and lollipops line the oh-so-colorful walls. There’s Shakespearean Insult Gum, Texas-made Chick-O-Sticks, and gobs of themed candy. And if you slide up to the bar, you can order milkshakes, shaved ice, or old-fashioned sodas.

Texas's largest independent bookstore is a homegrown alternative to monster chain stores. It was established in 1970 and has been voted Austin's best bookstore for more than 20 years, stocking bestsellers along with books on topics such as women's studies, personal growth, and alternative home building; there's also a good children's section. Browse magazines; shop for quirky, hard-to-find gifts; and catch readings and signings by local authors, literati luminaries, and even former presidents who make stops here while on book tours.

The buyers for this large, independently owned world-market store comb the planet for colorful and unusual examples of folk art from more than 40 countries. African trade beads and baskets, Nepalese jewelry, Turkish textiles, and lots of Mexican items (including milagros, postcards, and cheap souvenirs and gifts) are just a few of the goodies stashed away in this delightful place.

This fantastic place is so much the ultimate toy store of your childhood fantasies that it's too good to save for actual children—don't be embarrassed to come in even if you don't have little ones of your own. It's the place to get things like Edgar Allan Poe and Beethoven action figures, vinyl dinosaur figurines, reproductions of vintage toys you played with as a kid, and floor-to-ceiling diversions for all ages, including science toys, metal robots, stuffed animals, costumes, hard-to-find candy, baubles and bangles, and more.

This eclectic purveyor was a staple of South Congress Avenue for decades but has moved its treasure trove of antiques and collectibles to a different location off South Lamar. If you’re looking for something out of the ordinary or want to browse the King of Austin vintage, this is the place. Stocked with antique items that have been procured from dozens of vendors, Uncommon Objects has an ever-changing stock that at varying times has included mourning jewelry made of human hair, tribal masks, anatomical charts from the turn of the 20th century, and plenty of taxidermy.

The beating burnt-orange heart of Longhorn Nation is on display at the ultimate showcase of UT sports paraphernalia, located right smack in the middle of the Drag on campus. You can find burnt-orange-and-Longhorn-logoed everything at this three-level emporium, from Crocs and dress shirts to bath mats, a full set of luggage, and even a $350 pair of Lucchese cowboy boots and a $600 acoustic guitar. An entire room is devoted to children's wear, from the nursery on up. Founded in 1896 and modeled after a similar co-op at Harvard, UT's Co-op (which offers discounts to faculty, students, and staff) claims to be the largest seller of used textbooks in the country. Even if you have no direct (or indirect) connection to UT, do stop in if you're in the neighborhood; it's gawk-inducing and unforgettable.

This large independent shop is an Austin institution that's been an integral part of the local music scene since 1982. With an outstanding selection, superb customer service, and free in-store concerts (including some pretty impressive names during SXSW), it may be the only Austin record store you'll ever need.