There isn’t anything particularly famous that is made in Kansas. Most small towns have a classic Midwest downtown with a diverse range of shops. Some are real charmers though, such as Aggieville’s historic district (the oldest in Kansas) with its 100 or so quaint shops and Salina’s historic Lee District with its art galleries and cool boutiques. The truth is, you never really know what you’ll find in a Kansas town, but the historic downtown of anywhere is always more fun than a standard shopping mall.
Downtown shopping districts are the best places to hunt for unique crafts, and there are some eclectic things that come from the minds of Kansans. From the lavender dream pillows of Kansas Lavender Butterflies and Bees in Topeka to the hand-crafted ceramics from the potter’s wheel of Elk Falls Pottery Works, you’ll know what you want when you see it. In Lawrence, head to Massachusetts Street downtown for fun local shopping.
Antiques
Besides funky crafts, the Sunflower State is also a decent place to hunt for antiques. People tend not to throw things out in Kansas, so almost every town has a second-hand store. Some cater to real antiques hunters while others are filled more with knick-knacks. The Flying Moose Antiques Mall in Wichita is one of the state’s largest stores, containing 17,000 square feet of oddities. Paramount Antique Mall, also outside Wichita, is another huge superstore. Smaller shops like Weird Stuff Antiques in Kansas City cover the other end of the spectrum.