Shopping
From our enchanting beachside main street shopping district to our eclectic shops scattered throughout the region, Traverse City is a shoppers' paradise. Front Street stretches for several blocks along the southern end of Grand Traverse Bay, and beautiful swimming beaches are just a block away. Explore our varied shops, buy some freshly-made fudge, eat lunch at a sidewalk table. Or head to one of our modern shopping malls for big-city bargains. In the mood for adventure? Then drive to one of the quaint towns within half an hour's drive to experience the relaxing feel of small-town shopping. Traverse City’s shopping areas include not only Downtown and Old Town with their architectural links to the 19th century and their unique, varied items but also the malls: Cherryland Center, Grand Traverse Mall, Grand Traverse Crossings and the Preferred Outlets at Traverse City. Shoppers have convenient access to many national and regional retail chains and lines that they sell. They also have a chance to find scores of unique items in independent shops all over the Traverse City area.
Downtown Traverse City and Old Town:
Downtown and Old Town shopping is about more than acquiring goods – it’s about walking up and down tree-lined streets and stopping to browse, carefully examining every item in shop windows and admiring the Victorian details of the buildings. More than a walk through a nostalgic place, shopping is about finding unusual and beautiful things that recall the Traverse City area. There are more than 100 specialty stores of all varieties selling clothing, furniture, art, music, sporting goods, foods, cameras, books, bicycles, eye wear, jewelry, stationary, tobacco, kitchen accessories, toys, kites, antiques and on and on. Landmarks of a former time are also a part of downtown and Old Town shopping day, one being the beautifully restored City Opera House on Front Street. Others include the original fire station, the Ladies Library, downtown and the old tavern and old-fashioned butcher shop across the Boardman River in Old Town.
- FREE Parking at Larry C Hardy Parking Deck in Downtown after 5pm on Monday through Friday and on weekends every month of the year with the exception of July and August.
Grand Traverse Mall:
The sound of the carousel’s calliope pumps brightly calling children to come board the flying animals. It’s a beautifully detailed carousel placed at the main entrance and in the middle of the food court, and it seems to be always in use. Also at the mall there is a video game room. Not surprisingly, these gestures of kindness to parents add to the mall’s success. The largest mall in the Traverse City area with over 100 stores, the Grand Traverse Mall opened in 1992 and immediately began attracting well-known stores as tenants and quantities of customers from close by and from as far away as three hours.
Grand Traverse Crossing:
Grand Traverse Crossing offers shoppers access to major national “box stores” such as Wal-Mart, Toys R’ Us, Borders Books and Records, Staples, and Home Depot. There are 12 stores in all. The mall area is extensively landscaped with flowers, bushes and trees and pool, fountains, and man-made streams.
The Cherryland Center:
The Cherryland Center contains a major department store, Younkers; a supermarket, Tom’s Food Market, as well as a Sears and a Big K-Mart. Some smaller shops are also located there too. It is located on the east side of Traverse City at the intersection of Garfield and Airport Road.
Grand Traverse Resort Tower Gallery of Shops:
The Resort’s 20,000 square-foot Gallery of Shops, located on the lobby level of the Tower, features over a dozen attractive upscale shops offering a choice of exceptional regional, national and international gifts, arts and crafts, men’s, women’s, and children’s apparel, sundries, and take out foods and snacks. Other on-property retail stores include the Pro Shop in the Clubhouse, and a Retail Boutique in Spa Grand Traverse.
Preferred Outlets at Traverse City:
Name brand companies such as Bass, Pendleton, Izod, Hush Puppies, Gap, and Old Navy fill this outlet mall located on US 31 South. There is also a bustling eight-plex movie cinema there.
The Mercato at Grand Traverse Commons:
Enjoy shopping at one of the most unique shopping venues in the country - The Village at Grand Traverse Commons, one of the largest historic preservation and adaptive reuse redevelopments in the country. Formerly known as the Traverse City State Hospital and the Northern Michigan Asylum, this 63 acre site features magnificent 19th century Victorian-Italianate buildings in a "Central Park" like setting. The ever changing art-adorned walls of the Mercado, located in what is known as "Building 50", is an expansive indoor marketplace featuring many unique shops. This is a "must see" stop on your Traverse City itinerary and is conveniently located in close proximity to Traverse City's historic shopping district.
