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Just For Fun |
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Looking for that special Vegas shopping experience? Get out of the malls and head to the interesting and original stores that will help you remember your Vegas vacation as something special. Select from one of the categories below:
Antiques
Apparel
Art
Books
Gambling
Souvenirs
Sports & Recreation
Toys
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Antiques |
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Las Vegas has always been one of those "best kept secrets" for antiques buyers, a place that offers some real treasures but isn't overrun with hordes of tourists at the antique stores.
The bulk of the action happens on and around Charleston Avenue, which is the next major street north of The Stratosphere Hotel as you head toward Downtown on Las Vegas Blvd. To the east you'll find a miniature antiques row with several small, independent stores and collections while to the west of Las Vegas Blvd. is a large antique mart. It's best to go exploring, but here are a couple worth noting:
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Antique Square
2014 - 2034 Charleston (at Eastern Ave.)
Individual Store hours vary but many are closed Sunday and/or Monday.
A charming collection of about 15-20 antique stores of all stripes including jewelry, comics, furniture, collectibles, toys, heirlooms, and much more. A standout in the crowd is Academy Fine Books & Collectibles, 2026 Charleston (702-471-6500). Although they primarily specialize in books of every stripe, they have a delightfully eclectic collection of treasures from just about every category you can think of. Of special note is their case full of old Vegas knickknacks, including ashtrays, books, photographs, postcards, and more from days gone by.
Directions from The Strip:
Take The Strip north past The Stratosphere to Charleston and take a right. The small collection of stores will be on your right hand side a couple of miles down, just before you get to Eastern Avenue.
Red Rooster Antique Mall
307 W. Charleston (at I-15)
702-382-5253
Store hours vary
This is a funky collection of stores and booths from dealers offering a wide variety of knickknacks and collectibles. Don't let the neighborhood and the condition of the buildings scare you away - you could find some really treasures here.
Directions from The Strip:
The location of this store, right next to Interstate 15, makes getting there tricky. You have to approach from the west so if you are coming from The Strip, turn left on Charleston, go under I-15, find a place to turn around (safely!!), and come back toward The Strip. Red Rooster will be on your right, immediately after you pass under the interstate again.
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Apparel |
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The major shopping malls and collections in this city have a seemingly endless supply of clothing stores with names you will recognize, everything from Victoria's Secret to Versace, Abercrombie to Armani, and Gap to Gabbana (as in Dolce). So we're not going to bother mentioning those places in this section since you really won't need our help finding them. Instead, here are a couple of smaller places that are a bit off the beaten track that might be of interest to you.
The Attic
1018 S. Main St.
702-388-4088
website
This place made semi-famous by an American Express commercial is packed to the rafters with vintage clothing geared toward the club kid or costume party crowd, which means if you're just looking for a cheap pair of jeans you'll have to put up with a lot less wackiness elsewhere. But if you're in the mood for something with feathers, come here.
Directions from The Strip:
Take The Strip north to Charleston, turn left and go to Main St., turn right. The store will be ahead about 1.5 blocks on your left.
Bad Attitude Boutique
4011 W. Sahara Ave., Suite 6
702-646-9669
website
Looking for something naughty and a bit scandalous but prefer something that won't get you arrested if you wear it in public? Head to the Bad Attitude Boutique, a purveyor of custom made corsets, fine stockings, costumes, and more for the ladies and even a few things for the guys (jackets and shirts with a flashy attitude).
Directions from The Strip:
Head west (toward the freeway) on Sahara Ave. approximately 2 miles and the store will be on your left (you'll need to go past it and turn around - safely!! - to enter the parking lot which is only accessible from the eastbound lanes of Sahara).
Boot Barn
7625 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
702-260-1888
website
Whether it's cowboy boots, buckles, hats, or any other manner of western wear, the Boot Barn is the place to find it. Be warned, if you happen to be visiting in early December when the National Finals Rodeo is in town, you won't be able to get anywhere near this place.
Directions from The Strip:
Head south on The Strip approximately 2.5 miles. The store will be on your right, just before Warm Springs Rd.
Buffalo Exchange
4110 S. Maryland Parkway #1
702-791-3960
website
Although this vintage clothing store is part of a nationwide chain, it doesn't seem to diminish the fact that they still have that cool, hipster vibe to the place, popular with college students and alternative types.
Directions from The Strip:
Take Flamingo Rd. east (away from the interstate) approximately 2 miles to Maryland Parkway. The store is in a shopping plaza on the southeast corner of the intersection of Flamingo and Maryland Parkway.
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Art |
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Yes, Las Vegas is mostly about crass but there is quite a bit of culture if you know where to look for it. Art lovers will want to visit the museums and galleries (see our attractions section), most of which have some sort of a gift shop or store that will allow you to purchase reproductions or other artwork. You'll also want to check out Arts District, a formally recognized area of town roughly at the intersection of Charleston and Main Street that is packed with galleries, stores, and boutiques designed for the art lover in all of us. Here are a couple of other places worth knowing about:
Art Encounter
3979 Spring Mountain Rd.
702-227-0220
website
Billing itself as the "largest fine art gallery in Nevada," this 8,000-square-foot facility showcases fine art of all mediums from the area and beyond. It's not only a good place to find art to take home but taking some time to appreciate the works hanging on the wall is a nice respite from the non-stop madness that is Las Vegas.
Directions from The Strip:
Take Spring Mountain Road (that's the street between Treasure Island and The Fashion Show Mall) west (toward the freeway) approximately 1 mile. The store will be on your left in the Chinatown shopping plaza.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store
3663 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (in the Desert Passage mall at Planet Hollywood/Aladdin)
702-691-2506
website
This official store of the famed New York City museum offers quality reproductions of paintings, scultpure, and more with the proceeds going to support the museum. So you get to buy art and support the arts at the same time!
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Books |
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Most major malls have a bookstore of some type or another and finding a Barnes and Noble or Borders is not difficult but there are couple of independent bookstores that are worth knowing about:
Bob Coffin Books
1139 Fifth Place
702-598-0982
website
Specializing in books, maps, and documents of Nevada and the old west, this store is a virtual treasure trove of American history.
Directions from The Strip:
Take The Strip north past The Stratosphere to Park Paseo (one block before Charleston), turn right, then right again on 5th Place. The store is on the left.
Book Magician
2202 W. Charleston #2
702-384-5838
website
Although they feature a wide variety of used and rare titles, their specialty is metaphysics including a large selection of sci-fi titles, alternative medicine, and more.
Directions from The Strip:
Take The Strip north past The Stratosphere to Charleston, turn left, and head east less than 1 mile. The store is the right at the intersection of Rancho Rd.
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Gambling |
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If your interest in gambling goes beyond just pumping coins into a slot machine, there are plenty of outlets for the obsessed:
Gambler's Book Shop
630 S. 11th St.
702-382-7555
website
If you're looking for a book that has to do with any aspect of gambling, you can either find it here or they'll find it for you - from how-to's to history and beyond.
Directions from The Strip:
Take The Strip north past The Stratosphere to Charleston Ave., turn right and go approximately half a mile to 11th St. (just before Maryland Parkway), turn left. The store is on the left.
Gambler's General Store
800 S. Main St.
702-382-9903
website
A gambler's paradise stocked with a massive book collection, both antique and current slot machines, gaming tables (blackjack, craps, etc.), roulette wheels, collectible chips, casino dice, classic Vegas photos, and a ton of gaming related souvenirs.
Directions from The Strip:
Take The Strip north past The Stratosphere to Charleston, turn left, go a couple of blocks to Main St., turn right. The store will be up a few blocks on the left.
Showcase Slots
4305 S. Dean Martin Dr.
888-522-7568
website
Want to bring home your very own slot or video poker machine? Check out this reseller of reconditioned devices that actually spent time on a casino floor somewhere.
Directions from The Strip:
Take Flamingo Rd. west (toward the freeway), cross over the freeway and just opposite the Rio Hotel is Hotel Rio Drive. You want to turn left (away from The Rio) and it will wind around and down to Dean Martin Drive (formerly Industrial Rd.). Turn right and the store will be on your right. They also have a small store in the Desert Passage mall at Planet Hollywood/Aladdin but the one on Dean Martin is bigger.
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Souvenirs |
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Every hotel has a gift shop where you can get that horribly over-priced t-shirt with the corporate logo emblazoned on the pocket, but if you want a more original souvenir (or want one that isn't quite as expensive), here are a couple of places to consider for that perfect "take home" piece of Las Vegas:
Atomic Testing Museum Gift Shop
755 E. Flamingo Rd.
702-794-5151
website
The Atomic Testing Museum is a fascinating overview of the Nevada Test Site, the place just outside of Las Vegas where they did above ground nuclear weapons testing in the '50s. In the gift shop, you can find souvenirs both wonderful and wacky, from mushroom cloud mouse pads and ties to books or videos to Albert Einstein action figures. Seriously. It's a hoot.
Directions from The Strip:
Take Flamingo Rd. east (away from the freeway) approximately 1.5 miles. The museum is on the right.
Bonanza Gift Shop
2460 Las Vegas Blvd. (at the corner of Sahara Ave.)
702-384-0005
They call themselves the world's largest souvenir shop and it's hard to argue when you see the mind-boggling array of every imaginable doodad, doohickey, tchotke, and thing-a-ma-bob, all stamped with some variation of "Las Vegas" on it.
Liberace Museum Gift Shop
1775 E. Tropicana Ave.
702-798-5595
website
Want a sequin covered baseball cap? How about your very own candleabra? You can find those and much more at the official gift shop for the Liberace Museum, a haven for all things bejeweled from the late entertainer.
Directions from The Strip:
Take Tropicana Ave. east (away from the freeway) approximately 2.5 miles. The museum and gift shop are on your right.
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Sports & Recreation |
Bass Pro Shops
8200 Industrial Rd.
702-730-5200
website
If you have any interest in anything having to do with sports, the outdoors, or recreation you're probably going to find something to buy here. It's a giant (really giant) store with sporting goods supplies, camping equipment, guns (and a indoor gun range), boats, and so much more that it's impossible to list.
Directions from The Strip:
Take The Strip south to Blue Diamond Rd. and turn right. Cross over the freeway and the store is on your left at the Silverton Hotel & Casino.
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Toys |
FAO Schwarz
3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (in the Forum Shops at Caesars)
702-796-6500
website
Not quite as glittery or glammy since the parent company went bankrupt, but this is still one of the biggest (and arguably most famous) toy stores in the world.
Directions from The Strip:
Take The Strip south to Blue Diamond Rd. and turn right. Cross over the freeway and the store is on your left at the Silverton Hotel & Casino.
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