Whether you love to haggle over vintage décor pieces or salvage a piece of old furniture for upcycling, antique shopping offers the perfect alternative to buying something new. It can be a lot of fun hunting for the perfect item, and across America, there are small towns that have made a name for themselves as antique hubs, full of stores selling collectibles, vintage pieces, and retro one-offs. Here are our picks for the best towns in the U.S. for antique shopping.
Walnut, Iowa
A must-see stop on the Iowa Antique Trail, Walnut is home to a number of antique stores selling vintage clothing, homeware, and upcycled furniture. Granary Mall is the largest. One of the few buildings to survive a devastating fire in the late 1890s, it was originally a store selling seed, grain, and agricultural machinery to the area’s farmers. Today, it has more than a hundred sellers of everything from furniture to glassware spread over its two floors. If you can, time your visit for Father’s Day weekend, which is when the town hosts the Walnut Antique Show. This annual event, which has taken place in Walnut since 1982, attracts more than 300 dealers from across the United States.
Hazel, Kentucky
Just over 400 people live in this small Kentucky town, but Hazel punches well above its weight when it comes to vintage finds. Mantiques, also known as Hazel Antiques Mall, is a good place to start. This cavernous place stocks all kinds of retro, quirky, and rare items– you might find an old railroad bell or a brightly colored vintage advertising sign. Down the street, you’ll find more famous shops, such as Blue Moon Antiques, Memory Lane Antiques, and the Felix Antique Shoppe. Pay the town a visit in early October to catch Hazel Day, an event celebrating the town’s founding — there’s a classic car show, parade, and flea market to hold your attention alongside the antiques.
Clinton, Tennessee
Tennessee antique hunters should check out Clinton, a small town perched on the banks of the Clinch River. Located about half an hour’s drive northwest of Knoxville, Clinton’s Market Street features a significant number of stores selling antiques and collectibles. Some are housed in historic buildings, such as Burrville, which sells vintage items from the century-old Wenders Dry Goods building, or Corner Antiques, located in the Taylor Building, a general store dating back to the 1890s. The Antique Market, located in the landmark Parker Building, is home to a number of dealers selling both vintage pieces and repurposed works of art. This is where you want to go to pick up quirky lamps that the owner creates from repurposed antiques! If you want to stick with the retro vibe and refuel at a 1940s soda fountain at the same time, make time to visit the Hoskins Drug Store on Main Street.
Wiscasset, Maine
It’s fitting that many of the stores selling antiques in Wiscasset, Maine do so from historic buildings. Start in the Wiscasset Antiques Mall, where more than a hundred dealers trade wares under one roof. A slew of other shops cluster right at the heart of downtown, crowding into a handful of streets near the Sheepscot River and selling a variety of antique weapons, vintage glassware and china, fine art, textiles, and furniture. Many of the dealers are at the top of their game, and have supplied museums with rare finds. If you’re planning a visit to Wiscasset, aim for the weekend, as some of the stores only open from Friday to Sunday.
Millerton, New York
This 19th-century railroad town has reinvented itself as a 21st-century hub for antiques. Millerton’s antique shops cluster on Main Street, with 36 dealers congregating in the Millerton Antiques Center. The nearby Montage Antiques specializes in antique furniture, lighting, and art, and Cottage and Camp serve as the perfect place to find something unique. Up the road, Kent Hunter and Jonathan Bee’s passion for the eclectic led them to open Hunter Bee, which sells mid-century modern furniture, vintage folk art, and much more. Venture over the state border into Connecticut and you can continue to browse – check out the treasures on sale at Black Squirrel Antiques and Lou’s Relics for some truly rare finds.
Galena, Illinois
With a population of roughly 3,000, Galena might seem too small to support the many retailers that crowd its main street — but the visitors and tourists who flock here for great finds certainly don’t think so. Many of those who come to browse the town’s antique and collectible stores do so from further afield, including weekenders from Chicago (a three hour drive away). Shoppers call in to the Trip Vintage Boutique for fashion and jewelery items, explore Red’s Iron Yard for inventive home and garden décor using recycled materials, and sift through piles of old books in both branches of the deliciously cluttered Peace of the Past. If you’d relish something more interactive as you get your antique fix, drive half an hour east to Dittmar Farms and Orchard, where you can take an antique tractor for a spin.
