Everybody loves souvenirs.
Travelers are always on the hunt for a special retail find, from one-of-a-kind items handmade by local artisans to “can you believe it?!” bargains that they just can’t score at home. More than merely buying, the experience of shopping while on vacation is a great way for travelers to immerse themselves in an area’s culture. There’s always an adventure to be found when exploring bustling markets, browsing boutiques or haggling for treasure in a local bazaar.
The South boasts an abundance of great shopping opportunities, including neighborhoods and districts filled with quirky boutiques and sprawling developments where shoppers can find almost anything their hearts desire. No matter what your travelers are in the market for, these six places should be at the top of their shopping lists .
Country Club Plaza
Kansas City, Missouri
Opened in 1923, Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri, is considered the nation’s first planned large outdoor shopping center and the first to accommodate shoppers who arrived by automobile. Inspired by the city of Seville, Spain, Country Club Plaza is 55 acres of romantic Andalusian architecture — including a half-sized replica of Seville’s Giralda Tower — along with art, statues and fountains. Carriage rides are popular, and huge crowds turn out for the annual holiday lighting, when hundreds of thousands of lights illuminate the ornate towers and red-tiled roofs.
“You could spend your whole day on the plaza — shopping, eating, having a drink and checking out the art,” said Makenzie Wolters, communications director for Visit KC.
One of Wolter’s favorites is The Granfalloon Restaurant and Bar, a casual establishment that’s been serving sports fans (and some famous athletes) since 1977. Visitors wanting a taste of Kansas City’s legendary barbecue scene will want to head to Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue, which has been hickory smoking briskets, burnt ends and more since 1957.
“From a visual standpoint, the Plaza is massive and very beautiful to look at year-round,” Wolters said. “And there are great shopping options, everything from really luxurious upscale national brands to local brands that you won’t find anywhere else.”
Some local favorites include Charlie Hustle and the Made in KC Marketplace.
Historic Granville
granville, Tennessee
Perched on the banks of the Cumberland River, Granville, Tennessee, is a step back in time. It’s only open Wednesdays through Saturdays, but this tiny town about 90 minutes east of Nashville is worth working into your shopping schedule. While actor Andy Griffith drew inspiration from his childhood home in North Carolina to create the fictional town of Mayberry, Granville — the birthplace of former U.S. Senator Albert Gore Sr. -— is a Mayberry kind of town.
Groups should start their visits with $7 tickets purchased from the T.B. Sutton General Store, which gives them access to the town’s museums and attractions. The store has been a landmark in Granville since the 1800s, and visitors can purchase overalls, nostalgic toys and unique handmade items. At the store, groups can also enjoy a hand-dipped ice cream cone or a hearty “meat and three” lunch in the converted feed room, which accommodates groups of up to 55 by reservation. On Saturday nights, home-cooked country dinners and live bluegrass music make for a memorable evening.
Other attractions include Pioneer Village, where skilled artisans demonstrate traditional crafts. Travelers can purchase pottery, handwoven baskets and other local crafts at the Granville Artisans’ Gallery or browse quilting supplies while savoring freshly baked pies at Aunt Bee’s Farmhouse Quilt Shop and Bakery, which is adjacent to the Quilt and Textile Museum.
Tour organizers will want to check the town’s calendar for special events, such as the Mayberry Dinner Theater, where local actors re-create episodes from “The Andy Griffith Show,” as well as ghost walks and numerous seasonal festivals.
Old Town
Alexandria, Virginia
Just minutes from Washington, D.C., Old Town Alexandria is a nationally designated historic district on Virginia’s Potomac River waterfront. The picturesque district—particularly the King Street Mile—is a top destination for shopping in the region. In 2024, Alexandria was voted one of Travel + Leisure’s Best Cities in the U.S. and one of The South’s Best Cities by Southern Living.
“We have more than 100 independently owned boutiques, plus some national favorites,” said Claire Mouledoux, senior VP of communications for Visit Alexandria. “It’s very walkable, and there’s also the free King Street trolley, where you can hop on and off with all of your finds from many of the locally owned shops.”
Shoppers can find something chic at An American in Paris, a European-style boutique featuring emerging designers and bespoke pieces, or pick up something preppy at The Lucky Knot, for brands like Vineyard Vines, Vera Bradley, Jude Connally and Lilly Pulitzer. For something special, take groups to Shop Made in VA, showcasing the talents of Virginia designers, artists and makers.
Old Town Alexandria has a vibrant dining scene, with new waterfront restaurants such as BARCA Pier and Wine Bar and Ada’s on the River, as well as charming historic spots like Virtue Feed and Grain and Il Porto Ristorante. Groups will enjoy interactive pizza-making dinners at Mia’s Italian Kitchen, or they can master mixology with a cocktail-making class at The Study at Morrison House.
In addition to shopping, group travelers can enjoy a variety of unique tours. Numerous walking tours showcase Old Town’s Colonial architecture, brick-lined streets and cobblestone alleys. Travelers can get their steps in during historic daytime strolls, evening ghost tours, Black history tours and seasonal outings.
River cruises from the Alexandria City Marina showcase the sights of D.C.’s iconic monuments during a Monuments Sightseeing Tour. Travelers can also venture beyond Old Town for a brewery tour at Port City Brewing Co. or Lost Boy Cider.
Pinnacle Hills Promenade
Rogers, Arkansas
If shopping big national brands and even bigger bargains excites your group, they’ll enjoy a trip to Rogers in northwest Arkansas. Pinnacle Hills Promenade, an open-air mall, draws shoppers from the entire region, said J. R. Shaw, executive director of Destination Rogers.
“Pinnacle Hills has become a regional destination for overnights for group tours, and for day trips as well,” he said. “We get business from Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and even north Texas. We’ve seen girls’ shopping trips that also take advantage of the culinary and everything else that’s here. Downtown Rogers also has a kind of funky authentic downtown shopping district, in addition to the national brands at Pinnacle Hills.”
In addition to a plethora of nationally known retailers, including White House Black Market, Coach, Sephora, Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, LEGO and Western goods specialist Tecovas, the 152-acre site boasts a 12-screen cineplex and numerous restaurants, including tasty Mexican food and margaritas from Local Lime. And Blue Zoo, a hands-on, interactive aquarium with sharks, clownfish, seahorses and angelfish, will thrill kids of all ages.
The neighboring area has its shopping attractions, as well. Outdoor enthusiasts won’t want to miss Bass Pro Shops and A.G. Russell Knives showroom. Sports fans will soon have something to cheer about because USL soccer team Ozark United FC plans to construct a new, 5,000-seat stadium just north of the mall.
Little Five Points
Atlanta
You don’t have to be a hippie (or even hip) to enjoy Little Five Points, Atlanta’s most eclectic shopping district, filled with art galleries, funky shops, independent bookstores, restaurants and theaters. The neighborhood is as colorful as the tie-dye clothing that you can still find in stores like The Clothing Warehouse and Psycho Sisters, just two of the many fun and free-spirited retail destinations in the vibrant and bohemian district.
Music lovers will find their groove at shops like Criminal Records, which has a genre-spanning selection of vinyl offerings — along with a curated collection of comic books — as well as Moods Music and Wax ‘N’ Facts, where visitors may luck into finding a rare album.
Unsurprisingly, this creative community boasts an eclectic array of street art, with expressive murals and quirky installations waiting to be discovered. For biker and car memorabilia, sassy wait staff and brilliant burgers, visitors can step through the 30-foot-tall, folk art skull that leads into The Vortex, a 21-and-up neighborhood staple.
For something more serene, groups can explore the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum. Set on 35 beautifully landscaped acres, the center has a Japanese garden, two small lakes and great views of the city’s skylines. Inside, the state-of-the-art museum traces the lives of the 39th president and his wife, Rosalynn Carter.
Downtown
Ponchatoula, Louisiana
Ponchatoula, Louisiana, the self-proclaimed “Strawberry Capital of the World,” is also a berry — um, very — sweet place to indulge in a little shopping. Also known as “America’s Antique City,” the city’s downtown historic district is chock-full of antique stores housed in buildings that are antiques themselves, along with locally owned boutiques, specialty shops and retail stores.
Located less than an hour north of New Orleans in Tangipahoa Parish, Ponchatoula is “very much a strolling city,” according to Emily Matise, director of sales for the Tangipahoa Parish Convention and Visitors Bureau. “It’s a town of only about 7,500 people, but it’s got all sorts of antique shops and boutiques and cafes.”
Downtown favorites include Roussel’s Fine Jewelry and Gifts, which has been serving locals and visitors for more than 40 years. Located in the 1895 train depot, Ponchatoula Country Market is a nonprofit that provides a place for locals to display and sell handmade, homegrown and collectible items, including hand-carved beeswax candles, local honey and canned and baked goods. After a day of shopping, groups can enjoy fresh seafood, prime steaks and live music at Roux and Brew, located in a 120-year-old building in downtown.
To learn more about Ponchatoula’s history, visit the Collinswood School Museum. Located downtown in an 1883 one-room schoolhouse, the free museum showcases antique quilts and furnishings, Native American artifacts, a pictorial and a history of the local cypress industry.
While in the area, wildlife lovers will want to visit the Global Wildlife Center, a 900-acre wildlife preserve.
