What are the best souvenirs to buy in Las Vegas?

“The best souvenir” to bring home from a trip is a relative term that holds as many meanings as there are tourists wandering the Earth. Pretty vague, right? The truth is, a unique souvenir is something that evokes a memory for you, a reminder of a feeling you actually felt while on that trip. Any souvenir worth its money must have the power to transport you back; it needs the qualities of a time-traveling artifact…

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Travel anywhere in the world, and you’re sure to find souvenir shops selling t-shirts and caps with the location’s name printed on them, key chains, small miniature statues of famous buildings, shot glasses and, let’s not forget, the worst offenders:magnets for your gorgeous fridge of course! These trinkets often have little actual value and will start collecting dust as soon as you return home. If you love any of these items, more power to you, no judgment here, the ultimate goal of any purchase is to bring you joy. For the rest of the travelers who want to achieve that happy feeling too, this list was designed for you. 

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Las Vegas is overflowing with souvenir shops, but the truly special keepsakes go beyond the generic keychains and T-shirts. The most memorable Vegas souvenirs reflect the city’s unique blend of glitz, history, and local creativity. From artifacts of old Vegas to edible treats crafted in the desert, here are the best and most unique souvenirs that capture the spirit of Las Vegas. Each item below showcases local craftsmanship, cultural or historical significance, culinary flair, fashion, or just pure quirky Vegas character.

Vintage Neon Souvenirs: Light Up Your Memories

Las Vegas is synonymous with neon lights, and you can actually take a piece of that luminous history home. The Neon Museum in Vegas preserves old casino and hotel signs, and its gift shop offers one of the city’s most extraordinary souvenirs – authentic retired light bulbs from the iconic “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign. Each bulb comes in a display box noting the dates it shone in the famous sign until it finally burned out​. Owning one means you literally have a fragment of Las Vegas’s glittering past sitting on your shelf. In addition to lightbulbs, look for small-scale neon art pieces or decor inspired by vintage signs – some local artisans even create custom neon designs. These glowing mementos bring a touch of classic Vegas to your home and are guaranteed conversation starters.

Casino Chips and Cards: A Piece of the Action

What better way to remember Vegas than by pocketing a bit of its casino culture? Authentic casino chips are a cheap and fun collectible found at nearly every casino gift shop. Many visitors buy a $1 or $5 chip from each casino they visit – each chip bears the casino’s unique design and serves as a token of that stop on your Vegas adventure. You can also purchase decks of used playing cards or dice from the casinos. After cards have been used on the gaming floor, casinos often punch or notch them and sell them in souvenir packs. These aren’t your average store-bought playing cards – they actually felt the fingers of gamblers in a real Vegas game. It’s an inexpensive keepsake with a cool backstory. For something a bit flashier, many casinos offer commemorative chips for special events or anniversaries, which make excellent display pieces. Whether you’re a high roller or not, bringing home a few casino chips or a deck of cards is a tangible way to relive the excitement of Vegas. As one guide notes, branded chips are available at casinos all around town and are a great way to remember which casinos you visited​. Display them in a frame or shadow box for your own mini “wall of fame” of casinos conquered.

A Time Capsule Postcard

With FuturePosts, you can create a custom postcard online using your own photos, add a personal message and schedule it to be delivered at a later date, whether it’s next month, next year or even a decade from now. FuturePosts keeps everything we love about traditional postcards while bringing them into the digital age. Your futurepost is still a tangible keepsake following the classic postcard format with a large image on one side and a personal message framed by colorful borders on the other. Most importantly, it still arrives in your mailbox, not your inbox.

Instead of letting your best travel photos fade into digital clutter, why not transform them into a unique souvenir? Turn them into a postcard, creating a personal time capsule for yourself or a loved one to receive in the future. One of the benefits of designing a time capsule postcard with FuturePosts is that the message on the back of the postcard takes on a deeper significance, becoming a letter to your future self, capturing your thoughts, dreams and emotions in a single moment frozen in time.

Every day, travelers search for the perfect souvenir, often settling for generic trinkets. Why not choose something more meaningful? Make a thoughtful choice on your next trip. Choose nostalgia. Choose something with lasting value. Choose FuturePosts and create your own personalized time capsule, a beautifully crafted postcard featuring your photos and words, delivered at your chosen future date. Skip the ordinary souvenirs and futurepost your travel memories today!

Mob Museum Memorabilia and Moonshine

Dive into Las Vegas’s colorful history with a souvenir that channels the city’s mobster and Prohibition era. Downtown’s popular Mob Museum not only offers an eye-opening look at Vegas’s gangster past, but also a gift shop stocked with unique historical mementos. You’ll find quirky items like Al Capone bobblehead dolls and even hollow “fake books” that hide a flask inside – a witty nod to the bootlegger tricks of Prohibition​. One of the most distinctive options is the Mob Museum’s house-distilled moonshine. In the museum’s basement speakeasy, they sell jars of their very own corn-mash moonshine, including special flavors like “Ginger Jake” and “Huckleberry Hideout”​. It’s legit, legal moonshine made on-site (don’t worry, it wasn’t brewed in a bathtub!), and it comes in mason jars for full 1920s authenticity. Bringing home a jar of Mob Museum moonshine is like taking a sip of Vegas history. Even if spirits aren’t your thing, the museum’s books on mob history or vintage-style posters can make great gifts for history buffs. These souvenirs offer a tangible link to the wild bygone era when the Mob ran Vegas – a side of the city far removed from today’s neon glitz, but one that shaped its identity.

Handcrafted Jewelry and Local Art

For a one-of-a-kind keepsake, skip the tourist traps and explore Las Vegas’s local art scene. The city has a thriving community of artisans whose works reflect Vegas’s desert setting and vibrant culture. Head to the Downtown Arts District (18b) – a creative neighborhood of galleries, workshops, and boutiques – to find handcrafted jewelry and artwork made by local artists. You might discover silver pendants shaped like Nevada or earrings made with turquoise and other stones of the Southwest. Many artisans incorporate iconic Vegas imagery (think playing cards, showgirls, or neon motifs) in classy, creative ways. According to one Vegas guide, handcrafted jewelry or unique accessories from local artists are great upscale souvenir options, and the Downtown Arts District is the go-to place for “one-of-a-kind pieces that capture the spirit of Vegas”​. In Downtown’s Container Park – an open-air shopping and dining complex built from shipping containers – you’ll find a shop called Art Box that features handmade gifts from all-local artists and jewelers​. From ceramic dishes painted with cactus flowers to colorful prints by Vegas muralists, you can pick up a truly unique treasure here. These items aren’t just souvenirs; they’re wearable or displayable art. Every time you wear that artisan necklace or glance at that small painting on your wall, you’ll be reminded of the creative energy and individuality that thrives in Las Vegas beyond the Strip.

Gourmet Desert Delights: Edible Souvenirs

Las Vegas offers plenty of unique edible souvenirs that capture the flavors of the Mojave Desert and the city’s culinary creativity. Rather than generic boxed chocolates or bland snack mixes, look for locally made treats that tell a story about Vegas. Some top picks include:

• Ethel M Chocolates – Founded by a member of the Mars family in the Vegas area, Ethel M is a beloved local chocolatier making small-batch gourmet chocolates. Their factory in Henderson (just outside Vegas) even has a cactus garden you can tour. Ethel M produces luxurious truffles, pecan brittles, and even boozy liqueur-filled chocolates in artisan batches​. Picking up an Ethel M assortment gives you a taste of Vegas sweetness crafted right in the desert. (They often have seasonal flavors or Vegas-themed collections – ask about the “desert bloom” or cactus-inspired chocolates.)​
• Prickly Pear Candy & Jam – The prickly pear cactus thrives in Nevada, and its bright magenta fruit is used to make all sorts of goodies. You can find prickly pear candies, jellies, and even syrups in local markets and gift shops. These treats have a unique fruity flavor (often compared to a cross between watermelon and bubblegum) and a desert flair. It’s a fun way to literally taste the Southwest. One Vegas travel blog suggests seeking out prickly pear candies as a souvenir infused with “the flavors of the desert”​. They’re as colorful as Vegas lights and definitely not something you get back home!
• Hand-Crafted Jerky and Hot Sauces – Embrace the Wild West side of Vegas with some gourmet jerky or spicy sauces made by local companies. One standout is Avalon Meat Candy, a Las Vegas-based jerky shop that specializes in hand-crafted beef jerky with creative flavors (think chili-lime or garlic parmesan). They pride themselves on using premium ingredients and offer a wide range of styles from crispy dried strips to tender bites​. Pick up a pack of their “Meat Candy” for a protein-packed souvenir – it’s a great conversation snack (“I got this jerky in Vegas, and it’s made right there in town!”). If you like heat, also look for locally produced hot sauces and spice rubs (some Vegas chefs bottle their own blends). A dash of “Vegas hot” in your cooking back home will remind you of Sin City’s fiery side.

Las Vegas’s edible souvenirs go beyond the ordinary, often made in small local facilities or by Nevada-based makers. They’re perfect for sharing – bring some cactus candy or local chocolate back for friends and family, if you don’t devour it all yourself!

Showbiz Glamour: Elvis and Showgirl Mementos

Las Vegas’s entertainment legacy looms large – this is the town of Elvis, showgirls, and over-the-top stage spectacles. Tacky Elvis keychains abound, but there are classier ways to celebrate Vegas’s showbiz roots as a souvenir. For Elvis Presley fans, consider picking up a high-quality Elvis-themed keepsake that does justice to the King’s Vegas era. Vintage vinyl records or posters from Elvis’s performances at the Las Vegas Hilton (formerly the International) can be found at local vintage shops or record stores. There are also specialty costume retailers in Vegas where you can buy authentic Elvis style jumpsuits or accessories – yes, real rhinestone-studded white jumpsuits, just like the King wore on stage, are available (albeit at a premium price) for the ultimate die-hard souvenir. Even if you opt for something smaller, try to find an item that’s a cut above the mass-produced fare – for example, a replica of Elvis’s iconic sunglasses with good build quality or a commemorative book on Elvis’s Vegas years.

Equally iconic are Las Vegas showgirls, with their feathered headdresses and sequin costumes. While you probably can’t fit a full showgirl outfit in your suitcase, you can bring home a bit of that sparkle. Some shops sell showgirl-style feather headpieces or fans – flamboyant accessories that capture the glamour of old Vegas revues. These make for fabulous display pieces or can even be worn as a fun costume. In fact, local costume shops (like American Costumes on Decatur Blvd) specialize in showgirl and Vegas stage costumes; you might find embellished corsets, feather boas, or decorative feathers for sale. Vegas locals often suggest even something as simple as showgirl feathers as a quirky keepsake​, since they’re so emblematic of the city’s glitzy history.

Bringing home an Elvis or showgirl-themed souvenir pays homage to the legendary performers that made Vegas the “Entertainment Capital of the World.” It’s a nod to the city’s cultural history – one that’s flashy, larger-than-life, and unapologetically glamorous. Even a small Elvis enamel pin or a refrigerator magnet featuring a classic showgirl can carry that nostalgic Vegas spirit (Vegas-themed enamel pins featuring icons like Elvis and vintage casinos are quite popular​). These souvenirs let you relive a bit of the showtime magic every time you see them.

Offbeat Collectibles: Quirky Vegas Finds

One thing Vegas does not lack is quirkiness. If you have a taste for the unusual, there are souvenirs that perfectly embody the city’s quirky, only-in-Vegas vibe. Here are a few delightfully offbeat options for the collector with a sense of humor:

• Tiki Bar Treasures: Las Vegas has an unlikely tiki culture hotspot in Frankie’s Tiki Room, a legendary local bar decorated in Polynesian kitsch meets Vegas style. Frankie’s is famous for its creative tropical cocktails – and each comes in a custom-designed ceramic tiki mug. The bar has released many limited-edition mugs over the years (with names like Lava Letch, Bearded Clam, or Frankiestein) that have become highly collectible​. Stopping by Frankie’s and buying one of their tiki mugs (you can order your drink in it and keep the mug) is a fantastic way to snag a unique souvenir. You’ll essentially have a piece of functional art, often numbered or special-edition, that represents a mashup of Vegas flair and tiki nostalgia. These mugs are designed by notable artists and produced in limited runs – a true Vegas collectible that you can also sip a Mai Tai from at home.
• Art-o-Mat Mini Art: How about purchasing original artwork from a vending machine? In the Cosmopolitan hotel’s lobby you’ll find Art-o-mat machines – retro cigarette vending machines that have been converted to dispense small pieces of art. Drop in $5, pull a knob, and out comes a pocket-sized work of art, encased in a cigarette-pack-sized box​. It could be a tiny painting, a miniature sculpture, a hand-printed collage – you never know what little treasure you’ll get, which is half the fun. Each piece is made by a different artist (often local to the region). It’s an affordable way to get one-of-a-kind art and one of the coolest “gacha” experiences in Vegas. As Atlas Obscura notes, for $5 you receive an original, handmade souvenir from these machines, which might be anything from a painting to a little sculpture falling into your hands​. Hunting down the Art-o-mat machines at the Cosmo or other locations around town is like a mini adventure – and you’ll walk away with a truly unique memento that supports the arts.
• Outrageous “Groceries” from Omega Mart: Leave it to Vegas to even make a grocery store an art souvenir experience. Omega Mart at AREA15 is an immersive art installation dressed up as a supermarket from another dimension. The shelves are lined with spoof products and absurd items you can actually purchase. Want to bring home a can of “Mammoth Chunks” or a box of “Cornbread (in the shape of a cornbread)”? Omega Mart has you covered. Perhaps the most infamous product is “Vegan Goat Pus” – thankfully just a witty label for a fruity lemonade drink​. (Yes, you can really buy a bottle of “Goat Pus” lemonade, complete with its hilariously unsettling label, to prank your friends back home.) Other satirical items include “Nephew’s Oatmeal” or “Plaidynamite” cleaner – the weirdness is off the charts. These make epic gag gifts or additions to your shelf of oddities, and they’re exclusive to Vegas. Shopping at Omega Mart is an experience in itself, and the bizarre products you take away will forever remind you of Vegas’s wacky, artistic side.

Each of these offbeat souvenirs captures the fun, whimsical spirit of Las Vegas in a way no snow globe or shot glass ever could. They show that Vegas is not just casinos and neon – it’s also a city of creative, zany ideas and experiences. Whether it’s a kitschy tiki mug, a piece of mystery art from a vending machine, or a jug of fake goat product from another universe, you’ll have a story to tell with every item. And ultimately, that’s the best kind of souvenir: one with a great story behind it.

Bringing Home the Spirit of Vegas

Las Vegas is a city like no other, and the souvenirs you bring back should be just as distinctive. By seeking out locally made, culturally significant, and downright quirky items, you’ll end up with mementos that truly capture the spirit of Las Vegas – far more than any mass-produced trinket could. From glowing neon artifacts and casino heirlooms to artisan crafts and delicious dessert treats, each souvenir on this list carries a bit of Vegas’s glamor, history, and personality. When you display them or share them with others, you’ll be able to say, “This isn’t just from any tourist shop – it’s a piece of the real Las Vegas.” And long after your trip, these unique treasures will keep the memories of Sin City alive, sparking stories of slot machines, neon nights, mob legends, showbiz spectacles, and the creative souls that make Las Vegas unforgettable. Enjoy your hunt for the perfect Vegas souvenir – after all, in a city built on extraordinary experiences, even shopping should be an adventure. Safe travels, and happy souvenir collecting!

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