5 Best Places to Shop in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts

Step back in time with a visit to Alley's General Store, a local landmark and gathering place since 1858, and the island's oldest retail business. Stock includes everything from groceries to gourmet cheeses, and toys for all ages, from stuffed animals for the kids to housewares for adults. Alley's is a treasure trove of the playful and practical items that define a country store. The coffee bar sells some of the best brew in town, and they offer a great selection of snacks for a beach day.

Bunch of Grapes Bookstore is an excellent independent shop, with eager and knowledgeable booksellers and a varied selection of new books for adults and children. It also hosts a popular Author Series with discussions and book signings.

This longtime island favorite, open year-round, carries a large selection of island-related titles, periodicals, and bestsellers, and the staff will be happy to make a summer reading recommendation. The children's section is very good. A wonderful little café behind the bookshop, called Behind the Bookstore, is open seasonally.

As the name suggests, Rainy Day carries gifts and amusements perfect for one of the island's gloomy afternoons when you just need a warm, dry diversion. You'll find toys, crafts, books, puzzles, island-made soap and other products, island-inspired home goods, and more.

Nationally renowned for creating distinctive, hand-sculpted metal weathervanes, Tuck and Holand has a studio gallery a 10-minute walk from downtown. Here you can examine Anthony Holand and the late Travis Tuck's otherworldly creations, including copper Martha's Vineyard wall maps, an 11-foot seahorse sculpture, and a school of fish that actually 'swims.' Custom weathervanes are a specialty (there's a waiting list). Holland is considered the country's finest weathervane artisan.