Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion.
The Crescent City's shopping is as eclectic as its music, food, and culture. In local boutiques and specialty stores, you’ll find everything from rare antiques to novelty T-shirts, artwork, jewelry, fashion, and foods that represent the city's varied flavors. Up and down Magazine Street and throughout the French Quarter, you'll spot old-world influences intersecting with modern trends, making it easy for even the most discerning shopper to find something new to treasure.
New Orleanians have a deep love for their city and its culture. For shoppers, this translates into pride-centric merchandise, including jewelry and clothing bearing city emblems, such as the fleur-de-lis—the stylized iris design associated with New Orleans since its early days—and Mardi Gras masks, black-and-gold Saints symbols, and humorous statements about political issues and local personalities. Residents strongly support local entrepreneurs, and there are many homegrown stores selling locally made goods.
Make sure to pay attention to some of the city's artwork. Posters designed around Jazz Fest and other special events, for example, often become collector's items. In the thriving arts districts, you'll find contemporary works by local artists alongside renowned names in the art world. The sounds of New Orleans—Dixieland, contemporary jazz, rhythm and blues, Cajun, zydeco, rap, hip-hop, and the unique bounce beat—are available in music stores, such as Louisiana Music Factory and Peaches Records, and at live-music venues including Preservation Hall, Snug Harbor, and House of Blues. Bookstores stock a plethora of local books on photography, history, cooking, and folklore. Clothing stores focus on items that wear well in New Orleans's often intense heat and humidity, with styles ranging from the latest runway fashions to vintage frocks and styles by local designers.
In a hushed art-museum atmosphere, this gallery, with its well-educated staff, showcases high-end European paintings from the 18th and 19th centuries. Visits are by appointment only.
Global themes from Russian art to African American experiences in music, history, and culture are portrayed here through limited-edition graphics, photographs, posters, paintings, furniture, ceramics, textiles, and sculpture. Call before you go as visits are by appointment only.
In this eclectic shop, industrial lighting and reclaimed building materials mix with European antique furniture, artwork, porcelain, sculpture, and oddities from the 18th to 20th centuries. An open-air patio outfitted with garden benches, fountains, and other outdoor decor is linked to the main showroom by a warehouse-type gallery stacked almost floor to ceiling with furniture, salvaged doors, and other architectural items.
In the candy-making business since 1913, this shop sells sweet pralines as well as chocolate specialties—including its signature Mississippi mud, made with milk or dark chocolate laced with caramel.
Local designer Liz Maute Cooke is known for her witty and whimsical hand-printed greeting cards, sold in this shop alongside her signature apparel, paper goods, and other curated small gifts. The shop occasionally holds workshops on letterpress printing and other crafts.
For more than 50 years, this has been the stop for a mix of New Orleans souvenirs, miniature die-cast metal cars (from the Model T to the Hummer), character lunchboxes, puppets, plastic animals, and collectible Madame Alexander dolls. There is a second location in the French Quarter at 513 St. Ann Street.
A favorite resource for New Orleans and regional music—new and old—the Louisiana Music Factory has records, tapes, CDs, DVDs, sheet music, and books, as well as listening stations, music-oriented T-shirts, original art, and a stage that hosts frequent live concerts. This shop is a beehive of activity during the New Orleans Jazz Fest.
Take home a piece of art from plein air water colorist Lyla Clayre, whose hand-painted stationary, wrapping paper, postcards, and more feature French Quarter town houses and New Orleans flora and fauna.
If you are easily overwhelmed, you should take a deep breath before you walk into this expansive shop, where every possible inch of counter and shelf space is filled with antiques and vintage goods. You will find an array of costume and fine jewelry, vintage photographs, antique clocks, home decor, glassware, clothing, silver, furniture, china and ceramics, and a variety of other collectibles from a number of vendors.
The Magazine Street Merchants Association publishes a free brochure with maps and descriptions of the myriad stores, galleries, restaurants, and shops that line the city's boutique strip; it's available in hotels and stores, or you can request or download one from the association's website.
This toy shop, beloved by both children and adults, sells the kind of items you won't find in big-box stores. While they do carry popular toys by LEGO and Playskool, the emphasis is on independent brands. You'll find everything from baby toys to play items for older children to party games for adults. The staff go above and beyond with customer service, and can help with shipping and assembly.
Artist Dalili fabricates his intricate but wearable masks out of leather at a workstation in the front of the store. There also are masks made by other local artists, as well as Venetian and feather versions, pewter sculptures, jewelry, and figurines.
A team of vendors hawk a stylish melange of rattan furniture, Moroccan rugs, vintage houseware, and more out of this refurbished warehouse. The shop serves as a cornerstone for a maze of other boutiques: in the front, there is Marfa-based Freda, for handmade fine jewelry, clothing, and luxury candles; in the back courtyard, there are more rugs, art, and a French home goods store.
One of the south's largest hat stores has been in operation for more than a hundred years and is currently run by the fourth generation of the Meyer family. A favorite of locals and out-of-towners, the shop carries a large selection of fedoras, tweed caps, Kangols, Stetsons, and just about any type of topper you can put on your head.
Specializing in herbs, tinctures, essential oils, and natural medicines, this cozy little shop also sells scents and other natural body products, usually made by local small crafters. The community-oriented space offers health consultations and workshops too; check the website for more information.
On this block of Royal Street, galleries skew toward the contemporary and surprising, and this corner shop is a particularly good place to start. Intriguing mixed media pieces, photographs, and paintings by well-regarded regional artists are always featured, including a few surreal urban landscape pieces by local artist Max Seckel.
This store specializes in French and English antiques from the early 19th century, including jewelry, wooden boxes, furniture, porcelain oyster plates, sculpture, objets d'art, walking sticks, and silver services.
Stocked with art and photography books, children's items, puzzles, jewelry, and locally made crafts, this gift shop is well worth a visit, even if you're not browsing the museum's exhibits. The shop has its own cookbook, as well as items created exclusively for it by local favorite jewelry designer Mignon Faget. You don't have to pay museum admission to enter the shop; just say you are shopping at the front desk, and you will receive a special pass.
Learn how to make a roux and other Louisiana cooking techniques at this school that's inside a renovated 1800s molasses warehouse. Lessons are seasoned with history and tales of the state's famous cuisine. The general store stocks all kinds of regional spices, condiments, sauces, snacks, gift baskets, and cookbooks.
This funky record shop is stocked with LPs from local brass bands and bounce artists, classics and obscure selections from all over the world, and fun music-theme merch, like band-style tees with a New Orleans twist. They also give DJ and music production lessons for kids. Walls are reserved for 20 or so pieces that make up the Museum of Mediocre Art, a humorous dedication to oft-ignored thrift store paintings and more outsider art.
The building's contemporary architecture stands out, and the attractive layout inside invites customers to leisurely browse a wide selection of works with an emphasis on architecture, art, and fiction as well as books of local interest. The store hosts frequent book signings.
Imported porcelain, vases, ceramics, jewelry, and the store's own line of smocked children's clothing are popular gift items. The store has a Monogram Shop, which allows you to customize your purchases, as well as a showroom of home furnishings, including accent furniture, lamps, and antique accessories.
Built in what was once the International Pavilion for the 1984 World's Fair, the Outlet Collection at Riverwalk is an upscale outlet mall with shops such as Neiman Marcus Last Call, Johnston & Murphy Factory Store, and outlets for Coach, Forever 21, Croc's, Chico's, and Steve Madden. Outside the mall is Spanish Plaza, the scene of frequent outdoor concerts and special events. In the food court area, check out Mr. Shrimp's Kitchen---the owner Larry Thompson, the local seafood wunderkind, supplies restaurants all over town with fresh crustaceans.
This is the place to stop for libations while checking out nearby boutiques. The thoughtful shop specializes in wines from independent and minimal-intervention growers, and carries tinned fish and other imported snacks and candies. There is plenty of room in the stylish pink bar to hang out and enjoy a glass or two of whatever the bartender is pouring. The same small local team operates a pizza parlor and tavern next door.
This wine-and-spirits shop is connected to Pearl Bar next door, and you can grab a bottle here and enjoy it at the bar. Besides wine, the store also has a well-stocked spirits selection with a wide array of Scotches, bourbons, vodkas, and tequilas. The shop also offers tastings and frequent wine classes that take participants on virtual wine tours around the world.
The first floor of this venerable New Orleans retail institution is devoted to outfitting men with classic suits (white linen and seersucker are very popular), sportswear, shoes, ties, and accessories, as well as the store's signature crawfish-logo polo shirts. The second floor is filled with dressy, casual, and formal wear for women.
