Las Vegas Shopping

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Back to Las VegasLas Vegas Shops, Malls & Stores

Shopping in Vegas -- Nirvana or an endless Sisyphean repetition of every mall you've ever been to? Depends on your viewpoint. If you are looking for quaint, clever, unique stores, this isn't the town for you (with a few notable exceptions, most of which will require you to drive some blocks off the Strip). But if you are looking for general shop-till-you-drop fun, this is your kind of town. In addition to some extensive (and recently revamped) malls, many hotels have comprehensive, and sometimes highly themed, shopping arcades. The most notable of the arcades are in Caesars Palace, Planet Hollywood, and The Venetian.

In addition to exploring the malls, outlets, and shops listed in this guide, you might consider driving Maryland Parkway, which runs parallel to the Strip on the east and has just about one of everything: Target, Toys "R" Us, several major department stores, Tower Records, major drugstores (in case you forgot your shampoo and don't want to spend $8 on a new bottle in your hotel's sundry shop), some alternative-culture stores (tattoo parlors and hip clothing stores), and so forth. It goes on for blocks.

Factory Outlets

Las Vegas has a big factory-outlet center just a few miles past the southern end of the Strip . If you don't have a car, you can take a no. 301 CAT bus from anywhere on the Strip and change at Vacation Village to a no. 303. You can see from the review below that it doesn't do much for us, which is why we usually head to Primm to drop more money than we do at the tables (Williams-Sonoma outlet, how we love you).

Souvenirs

The Arts Factory Complex, 103 E. Charleston Blvd. (tel. 702/382-3886), has a gift shop full of pink flamingos and Vegas-specific items. There should be something here for every camp fancy.

If you prefer your souvenirs to be less deliberately ironic, head over to the Bonanza Gift and Souvenir Shop, 2460 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (tel. 702/384-0005). It's the self-proclaimed "World's Largest Gift Shop," and it certainly is big. T-shirts, Native American "handicrafts," all kinds of playing cards, both new and used (casinos have to change decks frequently, so this is where used packs go), dice, things covered in rhinestones, snowglobes -- in short, something for everyone, provided "everyone" has a certain sensibility. We looked, and we felt the tackiest item available was the pair of earrings made out of poker chips. The coolest? Some inexpensive, old-fashioned-style dice.

For reverent camp, encrusted with sequins, take a peek at the Liberace Museum gift store, 1775 E. Tropicana Ave. (tel. 702/798-5595). Encourage them to get even more out there (don't you think they should add Liberace mouse pads and screen savers?).

If you like your souvenirs with more style (spoilsports), Cirque de Soleil's O has a gift shop in Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (tel. 702/693-7444), with Cirque-specific articles, but also fanciful pottery, masks, and other curiosities.

Antiques

Antiques in Vegas? You mean really old slot machines, or the people playing the really old slot machines?

Actually, Vegas has quite a few antiques stores -- nearly two dozen -- of consistent quality and price, nearly all located within a few blocks of each other. We have one friend, someone who takes interior design very seriously, who comes straight to Vegas for most of her best finds (you should see her antique chandelier collection!).

To get to this antiquing mecca, start in the middle of the 1600 block of East Charleston Boulevard and keep driving east. The little stores, nearly all in old houses dating from the '30s, line each side of the street. Or you can stop in at Silver Horse Antiques, 1651 E. Charleston Blvd. (tel. 702/385-2700), and pick up a map to almost all of the locations, with phone numbers and hours of operation.