61 Best Shopping in Alaska, USA

On weekends from mid-May to mid-September, the Anchorage Market and Festival opens for business in the south parking lot of the Dimond Center mall. Dozens of vendors offer Alaskan-made crafts, international imports, and deliciously fattening food. Stock up on birch candy and salmon jerky to snack on while traveling or as perfect made-in-Alaska gifts for friends back home.

Artists Susan and Martin Miller own this shop that will delight knitters both new and experienced. It's the perfect place to buy a gift for that knitter back home or to pick up some qiviut, the pricey but exquisite undercoat wool of the musk ox that is some of the world's softest material.

In a large Midtown store, Alaska Fur Exchange sells both furs and Alaska Native artwork.

This Alaskan-owned store is the go-to specialist for any gear having to do with, yep, mountaineering or hiking. Whether you're setting out on a series of day hikes or you're planning a serious climb, the knowledgeable staff can help you choose the right equipment for the task. Take the time to chat up the staff and you may hear some amazing Denali stories.

This is primarily a place for locals to stock up on practical outdoor clothing and fishing gear, but Angerman's also sells souvenir T-shirts, jewelry, gifts, and other tourist items.

This gallery displays a mix of playful and whimsical original prints, pottery, jewelry, and other art and crafts from Alaska artists. If you're in town on the first Friday of any month, ask the staff for a map of the First Friday Art Walk; more than a dozen downtown galleries participate in this monthly event by hosting evening exhibit openings, most of which feature the works of local artists.

In business since 1983, Apocalypse makes its own specialized cold-weather clothing for dog mushers and other winter adventurers. Travelers from colder areas of the Lower 48 will appreciate the double-layer fleece mittens, among other items.

The secluded liberal arts campus at Alaska Pacific University features a gear room offering low-cost equipment rentals to the public. Pick up items for overnight getaways or in-town adventures, including paddleboards, tents, kayaks, camp stoves, and avalanche gear. Items are limited, so call in advance. 

In this tiny yet inviting gallery, you'll find a selection of interesting jewelry, ceramics, artwork, and carvings hand-picked by the owner, a Czech-born artist. 

This Alaska Native–owned shop sells handicrafts from around the state, along with a world's worth of beads for those who want to design their own pieces.

Stock up for all your adventures in the Interior at this store that sells the big names in backpacking, biking, paddling, and skiing gear.

Brenner's Fine Clothing and Gifts is another standout in the cruise port, offering an interesting and tasteful selection of women's clothing and accessories. Brenner's is an offshoot of a shop in Sitka that's been in business for 45 years.

The gallery, which occupies the first floor of a historic trading post, showcases and sells innovative Alaskan-made contemporary art. It also hosts workshops, lectures, musical performances, and other community events.

Locally owned and operated, this gallery sells artworks, craft items, and other creations—from sculptures to fossilized ivory bracelets to children's books—created by Alaskans.

Score eco-conscious dresses, weekend wear, and accessories at this forward-thinking women's clothing boutique.

Homer is famous for its halibut, salmon, and Kachemak Bay oysters. For fresh fish, head to Coal Point Seafood Company, which can also package and ship fish that you catch.

Authentic Northwest Coast art is the specialty at this crowded gallery run by local Tsimshian artist Ken Decker and his wife. Decker's work includes dance paddles, drums, and bentwood boxes featuring formline ravens, eagles, bears, and salmon.

Although furs may not be to everyone's taste or ethics, a number of Alaska fur companies have stores and factories in Anchorage. One of the city's largest and best-known furriers is David Green Master Furrier, whose family has been in the fur business in Alaska since 1922.

This laid-back gallery features individually screen-printed T-shirts, leather satchels, silver jewelry, and affordable wall art displayed along a sweeping three-story spiral staircase. Most items don't say "Alaska" on them, but everything here is handmade in the state by established and emerging artists.

If you're in downtown Hoonah, stop in to Fishbone Gifts. Right on the main road, this small, locally owned shop carries a nice selection of art prints, jewelry, cards, T-shirts, coffee mugs, and other Alaskan items.

The big one-stop shop for Alaskan-made gifts and souvenirs, Great Alaskan specializes in lathe-turned bowls made out of Alaskan birch.

This shop offers name-brand outdoor wear in addition to more utilitarian gear. Buy your cute shoes and your hiking boots here.

The bookstore at Icy Strait Point, Hoonah Schools Book Shop, is notable for its shopkeepers: they're all students from tiny Hoonah High School (the graduating class of 2013 had nine members). The students learn about running a business through their work at the store while raising money for the school activities program.

A co-op of local artists, this storefront gallery sells their jewelry, pottery, fine-art prints, and other works.

In her small shop, owner Judie Gumm fashions stunning and moderately priced silver and gold designs best described as sculptural interpretations of Northern images. Gumm, a longtime Ester resident, is a fun person to chat up about life in this small and quirky community tucked just off the highway west of Fairbanks; call ahead to make a appointment.

The cooperatively run gallery, on the first floor of the old Senate Building, sells a mix of watercolors, jewelry, oil and acrylic paintings, etchings, photographs, art glass, ceramics, fiber art, and pottery from more than 20 local artists.

Kindred Post is more than the downtown area's sole post office. The local owner, a poet and artist, has transformed the space into an elegant gallery that features locally made jewelry, ceramics, prints, and other works of art.

Started in 1947 in Fairbanks by Laura Wright, this family business is now owned by Wright's granddaughter, Sheila Ezelle, who sells distinctive Alaskan Iñupiat "parkys" (parkas) for both summer and winter. Visitors can find her booth at Alaska Native craft markets in Anchorage or place an order over the phone.

If you're interested in Alaska Native artwork, don't miss this small gallery and gift shop in the cruise port, which offers a wide range of traditional and contemporary handcrafted items, from delicate dentalium shell earrings to woven red cedar baskets. This shop also stocks a line of herbal remedies called Tlingit Rx, which includes traditional salves and lotions made from cottonwood, devil's club, and other local flora.

The gallery, a light and cheery space run by the Ketchikan Area Arts and Humanities Council, showcases established artists and rising stars. It's well worth a visit.