5 *Actually Interesting* Stores in the Arts District

Key Points:

• Stores in the Arts District feature an eclectic and riveting mix of merchandise.

• Shops I found interesting specialize in antiques, hilarious art, and metalworking.

• The Arts District is also home to breweries, restaurants, & bars - Make a day of it!

Look, I detest shopping as much as the next guy, but opportunities to do so in the Arts District are different.

They're actually cool.

The Arts District is commonly overlooked by tourists as it's in a bit of a "no man's land" between the Strip and Fremont Street, but it's packed with bars, breweries, restaurants, and shops - It's an area I've grown to love.

I recently spent a day hitting Arts District dive bars & stores and am excited to share some of the coolest ones.

Artistic Iron

This place is wild.

They make boring stuff like fences, gates, and window grates, but the real draw is the flowers, animals, and characters, ranging from Pikachu and aliens to dinosaurs and firemen.

Main Street Peddlers

Main Street Peddlers is a 7,500 SF antique mall, and they pride themselves on "sourcing and stocking one of the widest selections of Antique, Rare, Vintage, and Collectible goods in the entire Las Vegas Valley".

Mission accomplished.

The product mix is diverse, with 20+ vendors represented. Here's a small sampling, but rest assured, there's a lot more "weird" up in there.

Unique finds include action figures, rodent traps, cassette tapes, license plates, signed sports memorabilia, vintage Vegas casino items, branded beer taps, belt buckles, and a massive rack of Doc Martens.

Red Kat

As a guy who doesn't give a shit about fashion and rotates the same 7 shirts every week, I thought Red Kat Vintage Clothing was pretty interesting.

Inside, unique styles from yesteryear were on full display.

They even had a section of wedding dresses.

While I'm not a huge "clothes guy", it was really fun to explore, and I could see this place as a go-to for Halloween costume inspiration.

I've never seen so many ties in my life. So many hilarious ones. See that blue one with the basketball hoops? lol.

The most enjoyable finds were branded shirts (like this banger, below) and pro/college sports apparel.

Old School Vintage

Like others on this rundown, Old School Vintage has a really odd mix of goods for sale ranging from Las Vegas casino art and used clothing to vehicle brand badges and canned animal meat (beaver, meerkat, sheep, and even chipmunk).

What I loved most about this store, particularly, was the often lewd joke merch. I was chuckling the whole time.

Antique Alley Mall

The Antique Alley Mall is the mother of all antique shops in the Arts District.

For Sega Genesis gamers of the 1990s, this is Dr. Robotnik. The final boss.

With 65 different vendors spread over 12,000+ SF, you'll be here for over an hour.

I certainly was.

You won't expect half the stuff you find in there, which includes toys, old magazines, records, silver bullion, medical equipment, statues, and so, so, so much more.

Shopping in the Las Vegas Arts District is unlike anything in town. It's like browsing a museum, only the stuff is for sale.

What I love most about these antique/variety stores is all the reminders of my own childhood. Games, toys, even kitchen appliances that I hadn't thought about in years... all of a sudden sitting right in front of me.

It's nostalgic as hell, and a lot of fun. Even if you're a guy.