99 Best Places to Shop in Boston, Massachusetts

The large selection of works for sale in this gallery, established in 1937, includes paintings, prints, drawings, watercolors, and sculpture from the 1500s to the present. For a special memento with more weight than a Red Sox hat, pick out a piece from the gallery's impressive collection of Boston expressionism and Boston School impressionism art.

An indoor shopping mall in the Back Bay, Copley Place includes such high-end shops as Christian Dior and Louis Vuitton. It is anchored by the pricey but dependable Neiman Marcus and offers a few dining options, such as Legal Sea Foods and Caffè Nero.

After more than a century, this nonprofit membership organization continues to present the works of well-known and aspiring New England artists, as well as out-of-town and foreign members. Styles of artists range from traditional and academic realists to contemporary and abstract painters, photographers, and sculptors. Each year, the gallery hosts between 15 and 20 exhibitions, occasionally off-site in such locations as the Langham Hotel and Harbor Towers.

Covet is a gem of a store packed with everything from Louis Vuitton to Laura Ashley, and every designer in between. The shoe and handbag wall is covetable, and they also carry locally made jewelry and novelties. There are also locations in South Boston and in Beacon Hill.

Crush has been providing Beacon Hill ladies with an outlet for contemporary women's fashions since 2017. Find weekend casual outfits, jeans, silky shifts, and even party attire, from designers including Julie Vos, White & Warren, Egmont, and others. Accessories are not overlooked, as Crush offers jewelry and handbags that will dress up any ensemble.

Shipping-container-like buildings line a busy stretch of Seaport Boulevard, each housing pop-up shops by local entrepreneurs looking to get their retail ventures off the ground. Container residents change with the season, but may include sweets shops, consignment, jewelry, men's fashions, parfumiers, and more.

The edgiest clothing boutique on the Hill, December Thieves stocks fashion-forward, contemporary, emerging designers and brands from Europe, Asia, Latin America, and other places across the globe. Find a curated and wildly fun array of apparel, scarves, handbags, jewelry, beauty products, and home decor. 

From loungewear and skirts to tops and accessories, the owners of this specialty women's boutique take their time selecting designer apparel that boasts a timeless, effortless aesthetic. Brands aren't limited to Emerson Fry, Lisa Yang, Ulla Johnson, and Xirena, but if you like these, you'll like shopping here.

This complex of five buildings, one of which is the original Faneuil Hall, is both huge and hugely popular (drawing 18 million people a year), but not necessarily unique—most of its independent shops have given way to Banana Republic, Uniqlo, Urban Outfitters, and other chains. Founded in 1742 as a market for crops and livestock, the place has plenty of history and offers one of the area's great à la carte casual dining experiences within Quincy Market. Pushcarts sell everything from apparel to jewelry to candy to Boston souvenirs, while larger name-brand stores are in the North and South Markets. Live bands set up gigs throughout the weekend days, while buskers perform crowd-pleasing feats such as break dancing and juggling routines. Have your dollar bills ready for when the hat gets passed around.

Look for the lifelike golden retriever that guards the entrance to this shop named for its location at the base—or, flat—of Beacon Hill. For a quarter century, it's been offering a selection of candles, unique jewelry, handwoven totes, and a well-curated range of fancy souvenirs, all in its signature semi-preppy aesthetic.

Stylish birds of a feather will flock to this boho-chic boutique brimming with cotton T-shirts, floral dresses, and vintage-inspired jewelry, along with whimsical gifts like handmade ring dishes, crystal kits, disco suncatchers, and antique baubles.

From hot sandwiches and French toast to snacks, groceries, and wine, this market and deli is a great place to grab a quick breakfast or lunch in the Seaport District. You can expect top-quality ingredients cooked to order. 

Pieces here are meant to be versatile wardrobe staples, and you're sure to feel like you're shopping at a Parisian apparel boutique. Exquisite fabrics bring life to casual, classic European women's wear from emerging designers from across Europe, and there are shoes, scarves, hats, and accessories, too.

Specializing in contemporary paintings since 1977, primarily oil, watercolor, acrylic, and mixed media, this striking gallery in the neo-Gothic stone Church of the Covenant also displays sculpture and furniture beyond your everyday tables and chairs.

Step into this 12,000-square-foot warehouselike building through the famous pink door and head to the second level to find a massive selection of vintage, used, and new clothing and accessories. Boston Costume, the sister business on the first floor, draws thrift pickers to the back room to paw through an 850-pound bale of clothes that's dumped on the floor each day (twice on Saturday and Sunday); items are sold for $2 per pound. Students crowd the entire store year-round, and everyone comes at Halloween for that perfect costume. They're also known for their vintage wears, dating back to the ’50s for as retro as you please.

More than 50 local vendors and artisans take over a stretch of the Greenway every Saturday and Sunday from May through October. Peruse wares from tent to tent, including hats, jewelry, wall art, and more, all made in Boston.

A beloved hangout for T. S. Eliot and E. E. Cummings when they attended Harvard, this tiny shop founded in 1927 carries classic, modern, and contemporary in-print poetry from all over the world.

Need a unique gift for a tot under the age of three years old? This small store stocks classic books and quality toys you definitely won't find at big chain stores. Check out the unparalleled collection of LEGO, Playmobil, and Calico Critters.

Time disappears as you browse the tables and shelves of this always-busy bookstore packed with new titles and used books, as well as remaindered books. Founded in 1932, the collection's diversity has made the store a favored destination for casual readers and academics alike, as they have plenty to discover within the floor-to-ceiling bookcases. You can also stock up on Harvard University gifts, or catch an author reading.

This luxury enclave directly across from the historic Boston Public Garden is home to world-renowned fashion retailers such as Bottega Veneta and Hermés, the nationally known Salon Mario Russo, and Release Well Being Center, as well as a globally acclaimed auction house Skinner and fine-dining establishments such as Bistro du Midi. 

More than 100 makers and artisans come together during the winter holidays for this open-air market. Visitors can sample foods from local food trucks and dessert vendors, or get a warm or alcoholic beverage at four bars. Stop for a selfie, have a hot chocolate, and enjoy the twinkling string lights.

Once you've eaten your fill of pasta and cannoli, nourish your noggin at this independent, Italian American bookstore, where you'll find more than 1,200 titles in English and Italian. In addition to books written in Italian, including many children's books like Dr. Seuss, you'll find books devoted to Italian cooking, art, history, language, literature, and more, along with Italian comic books, card games, toys, gifts, magazines, and ceramics.

Started in the North End in the early aughts, this curated selection of denim pants also includes dresses, activewear, rompers, and more from designers like Gray State, Lucy Paris, and Shu Shop.

Dutch design with contemporary panache pervades the neighborhood's coolest furniture and home-goods store. As the larger items the store is known for are tough to pack, they also have plenty of decor to carry away—funky china, candles, apothecary, small planters, and diffusers, to name a few.

Looking for a souvenir to take home? Maybe something you've made? Book an appointment at Little Words Project at the beading table to make your own bracelet, or browse the already made pieces. Each beaded bracelet includes a short message—it's the project's mission to empower people with words of affirmation—and a portion of the proceeds goes to different nonprofit organizations. 

Thanks to its co-owners' past kitchen experience at L'Espalier, this pasta shop opened to much fanfare. You'll leave with everything you need to make a meal—fresh pasta, meatballs, sauce, and a bottle of wine (or beer) from upstairs.

Inspired by the temperature-regulating materials used for NASA's astronaut clothes, three MIT students started this men's and women's clothing store that features stretchy, moisture-wicking, wrinkle-free, machine-washable slacks, shirts, blouses, blazers, and jackets designed by a former Theory designer (think clean and elegant). Interested in creating a bespoke blazer on-site? The store's 3D-print knitting machine can finish a garment in about two hours.

This renowned pop-culture store carries vinyl, CDs, DVDs, novelty tees, quirky gifts, and an especially good lineup of independent pressings. You'll find another location inside Faneuil Hall Marketplace.

What started as $2000 and a comic book collection in 1978 by MIT roommates Mike Dreese and John Brusger is now is a beloved source for music, movies, comics, and other pop-culture goods. Leading with a big nod to independent artists, you'll find everything from exclusive color vinyls to bobbleheads and every cheeky T-shirt in between. This spot is in the Garage (a small yet iconic indoor mall that's going through some big renovations), and the two Boston locations are Newbury Street and in Faneuil Hall.

Not just for the holiday season, this adorable shop adjacent to the historic Old Corner Book Store puts a Boston spin on Christmas decorations. Browse ornaments with a nautical theme, bulbs painted with cityscapes, Irish angels and Santas, and so many lobsters, plus classic books and games like Christmasopoly. Personalization on most items is available.