140 Best Places to Shop in USA

In a town full of museum shops, this store at the National Archives Museum stands out, with exclusive memorabilia, reproductions, apparel, books, gifts, and plenty of Founding Fathers' gear that let you own a piece of history. Authentic-looking copies of the Constitution and other historical documents are printed in Pennsylvania. The popular "red tape" paperweights are crafted in the United States with real red tape that once bound government documents: hence the phrase "cut through the red tape." Other popular products feature Rosie the Riveter and Stars and Stripes bags; Teddy in Hat items for young children; and apparel featuring Franklin, Hamilton, and other Founding Fathers. Throughout the store, interactive games associated with special exhibits provide entertaining insight on U.S. and even personal history: enter your last name into the computer to see how many Americans share your name and where in the country they live.

This store in the heart of Wailuku champions cultural traditions and craftsmanship. It has a curated selection of Hawaiian and Polynesian works of art that include traditional wear, jewelry, weaponry, photography, books, music, hula instruments, and surfboards.

This outlet of the Navajo Arts and Crafts Enterprises stocks tribal art purchased from craftspeople across Navajo Nation, including stunning silverwork and traditional Navajo dolls, pottery, and rugs. Local artisans are occasionally at work here. There are seven other outlets: four are in Northeast Arizona (Cameron, Chinle, Kayenta, Navajo National Monument), and three are in northwestern New Mexico (Shiprock, Crownpoint, Gallup). Major credit cards are accepted.

The adjoining 1661 Farm supplies wool from its alpacas, llamas, yaks, and sheep for North Light artisans to make beautiful yarns, clothing, and blankets. Classes are offered in knitting, crochet, and felting—and you can also tour the Micro Yarn Mill where the yarns are made.

All under one roof (with 30 solar panels) in a delightful shop owned and operated by the Hays family since 1955, you can find contemporary clothing in natural fibers by global designers such as Eileen Fisher, OSKA, White+Warren, Michael Stars, and Lilla P. There's also a stunning selection of jewelry from Germany, Turkey, Israel, and Italy; gorgeous leather handbags by Annabel Ingall; floral arrangements from a sustainable farm in Virginia; and fine- and folk-art pieces from Mexico.

This is the nation's oldest Native American co-op. It displays and sells items created by more than 250 Cherokee craftspeople. The store has a large selection of museum-quality baskets, masks, and wood carvings, some of which can cost hundreds of dollars.

This is one of the best sources of early Taos art-colony paintings, antiques, and authentic antique Navajo blankets. Inside you'll find originals by such luminaries as Ernest Blumenschein, Bert Geer Phillips, Oscar Berninghaus, Joseph Bakos, and Nicolai Fechin.

The electric purple facade on the corner greets visitors as they enter on Bull Street from Victory Drive, signifying you've found the funkiest, artsiest neighborhood in Savannah. Inside, you'll find all manner of craft supplies, paints, canvases, markers, fabric swatches, tools, books, local art for sale, and fabulous treasures you never knew you needed.

For luxurious handcrafted blankets, throws, pillows, wraps, and scarves, look no further. All products are made in Maine using natural, heirloom-quality yarns. The expert craftsmanship explains the hefty price tag.

For more than 30 years, this fine handcrafts gallery on the northeast corner of Bent Street has featured exquisite one-of-a-kind pieces by a gifted stable of artists. Here you can find textiles, rugs, wall hangings, fine jewelry, paintings, sculptures, decorative and functional ceramics, and Zuni carvings.

Hand-cast bronze doorbells and wind chimes are among the items sold at this longtime Prospect Harbor foundry store. You can also buy finely crafted quilts, wood-fired pottery, and fine cabinetry and furniture made by the owner's family, as well as cards, wild blueberry jam, jewelry, and such by other Maine artisans. Ask for a tour of the foundry—you might even catch a “pour,” done several times a week. Off-season the store is open by chance or appointment.

In a large Midtown store, Alaska Fur Exchange sells Alaska Native artwork made from ivory, antler, and jade, plus more furs than you can imagine.

The family-owned Alpine Arts is the place to go for unique apparel, hats, and souvenirs, as well as beautiful handcrafted pottery, carved wooden boxes, jewelry, and other gifts—most made by Colorado artists and all embodying the state.

Amaryllis specializes in handcrafted jewelry from more than 400 artists.

Son of Simon Pearce, Andrew is making a name in his own right with his expertly and elegantly carved wood bowls, cutting boards, furniture, and artwork. Visitors can watch the carvers at work through windows into the production room.

This downtown boutique gallery carries jewelry, beads, gourmet foods, clothing, and local crafts.

Opened in 1978, this craft gallery celebrates and supports Vermont's craft community. The store sells jewelry, textiles, sculptures, and paintings by more than 120 local artists.

Peruse paintings (oil, acrylic, and watercolor), pottery, prints, sculpture, and more at Artistic Endeavors Gallery, which specializes in original works by regional artists, many of which turn their artistic eye toward San Antonio's charms.

For fine arts and crafts—everything from ceramics and stained glass to weaving and painting—visit the Artists' Gallery, a local artists' cooperative.

This shop is owned and run by the knowledgeable Mark Bahti, whose father, Tom, literally wrote the book on Native American art, including an early definitive work on katsinas. The store sells high-quality jewelry, pottery, rugs, art, and more.

The real draw of the Bamboo Restaurant is its attached art gallery, which tempts browsers with elegant koa-wood furniture and an array of gift items, such as hand-sewn crafts, boxes, jewelry, and even upscale aloha shirts. There's something for everyone here, and the prices are affordable.

Designers come from all over the world for the incredibly wide selection of beads at Beadazzled; there's also a selection of already-made jewelry.

This Alaska Native–owned shop sells handicrafts from around the state, along with a world's worth of beads for those who want to design their own pieces. If you're lucky, you can catch visiting Alaska Native artists working on their crafts.

The Sandia Pueblo-run Bien Mur Indian Market Center showcases regional Native American rugs, jewelry, and crafts of all kinds. It is a good place to get familiar with the distinct styles found at each of the 19 pueblos here (as well as that by Diné, or Navajo, artists), and you can be certain about the authenticity of purchases made here as well.

Near Red Canyon, a little east of U.S. 89, this rambling emporium carries high-quality Native American turquoise jewelry, beadwork, textiles, and other fine crafts, plus a number of souvenirs related to the nearby national parks.

Unique, handcrafted ceramics, weavings, jewelry, paper, wood, and leatherwork fill this two-level artist-owned and -operated store, with more than 200 global artists represented—more than half of whom hail from New England. Spend time perusing the glass cases of artistic handcrafted notions that greet you inside the front door, then stroll downstairs for wearable art in the form of scarves, purses, and more.

Located 2½ miles north of the Taos Plaza, Casa Cristal has a huge stock of stoneware, serapes, clay pots, Native American carvings, fountains, sweaters, ponchos, clay fireplaces, Mexican blankets, tiles, piñatas, and blue glassware from Guadalajara. You’ll feel like you’ve arrived at a Mexican market, and that’s because many of their crafts hail from south of the border (though there are regional New Mexican and Native American crafts to be found, too). Shipping is available for some of the more delicate or larger pieces you don’t want to carry home.

This store is simple, sheer fun for adults and kids alike. Looking for clacking, windup teeth? You can find them here, along with unusual greeting cards, whimsical and colorful socks, and unique housewares and handicrafts. If playing with all those fun toys makes you hungry, you can pick up a select line of premium European chocolates.