Thrift Finder
Louisiana · Updated February 2026
New Orleans has always had a special relationship with secondhand shopping — driven in large part by the costume culture that the city's festival calendar demands. The average New Orleanian needs significantly more costumes per year than almost anyone else in the country, which means the thrift and vintage stores here stock things you simply won't find elsewhere: theatrical pieces, glitter boots, wigs, period costumes, and the kind of deliberate oddities that make NOLA shopping its own category.
Magazine Street is the main corridor, running about six miles with vintage shops, consignment boutiques, and thrift stores scattered throughout. But the Bywater neighbourhood around Frenchmen Street has its own cluster — Bargain Center, Restoration Thrift, and several smaller spots — that rewards exploration. For cause-driven shopping, YEP Thrift Works and Bridge House both have genuine, direct community missions. And if you want to understand New Orleans through its secondhand culture, Junk's Above in Mid-City is the most authentic expression of the city's relationship with its own past.
Before you go
A Magazine Street institution and one of New Orleans' most beloved thrift destinations — equal parts costume shop, vintage boutique, and pop-culture playground. Funky Monkey carries retro leather jackets, wigs, glitter boots, festival gear, and decades of costume and vintage clothing with the specific, joyful irreverence that New Orleans demands. Whether you're gearing up for Mardi Gras or just want to embrace your inner weird, this is the first stop. The inventory changes constantly, driven by locals building their annual costume arsenal.
Housed in an old plumbing supply warehouse in Mid-City — which has become one of the most beloved thrift stores in the city. The hardwood floors and walls lined with 'lots of whatchamacallits and doodads' are the setting for vintage toys, books, records, apparel, glassware, lamps, and trinkets. The collectibles section is particularly strong — multiple walls of figurines and pop-culture objects spanning the Power Rangers to Disney to Toy Story. For the lover of all things odd, nostalgic, and beautifully worn.
Founded by three juvenile justice advocates and now engaging with over 1,000 people across 13 parishes, YEP Thrift Works is a standout in Central City — not just for its affordable goods, but for its mission. The Youth Empowerment Project provides job training and work experience for at-risk New Orleans youth. Shop for gently used clothing, furniture, and household items while directly investing in the next generation. Open Monday through Friday 10am–5pm.
Bridge House / Grace House provides addiction treatment, counselling, and support to those in recovery — and the thrift stores are their primary funding arm. What distinguishes Bridge House is the quality of the donations: the clothes and furniture genuinely seem to come straight from Garden District closets. Brooks Brothers shirt, antique ottoman, complete China sets — all possible finds. The prices are a step above typical thrift stores, but the stock justifies it. Staff are reportedly open to haggling on larger furniture pieces.
A time-capsule vintage store just outside the French Quarter specialising in 80s and 90s Americana — clean and chic inside, with inventory that includes classic Coogi sweaters, near-mint vintage New Orleans Saints jackets, vintage tees, caps, jean jackets, coats, and accessories. The walls are lined with old-school memorabilia, pinball machines, and neon signs. Swamp Rags also produces a growing line of original designs inspired by the vintage pieces they carry. One of NOLA's most consistently praised vintage destinations.
The New Orleans outpost of the national Out of the Closet chain, which donates 96 cents of every dollar to the AIDS Healthcare Foundation to fund HIV treatments globally. The Magazine Street location is open daily with a broad selection of clothing, books, housewares, and more — and offers free, confidential HIV testing on-site. A community resource as much as a thrift store, and one of the most direct ways to shop with genuine health impact.
A Bywater neighbourhood staple on Dauphine Street — close to Frenchmen Street and all the bars and restaurants of the area. Bargain Center is a no-frills local thrift with consistently low prices and the kind of inventory that rewards patience. A regular recommendation from locals who know where to look rather than tourists following a list. Worth pairing with a po-boy from Frady's corner store up the street and a walk along the neighbourhood's shotgun houses.
A Bywater thrift store close to Frenchmen Street, Restoration Thrift is a favourite for DIY enthusiasts and decor hunters — furniture, art, and oddities that inspire repurposing. Their 'Treasure Hunters' email club gives members exclusive coupons and first notice of sales. A solid complement to Bargain Center for a Bywater thrift afternoon, with slightly more curated decor finds and a creative rather than charity-focused atmosphere.