We received a wonderful welcome from this family owned freaky fantasy shop in downtown Louisville!…read more It's pretty much any Halloween lover's dream store. There was room after room of costumes, props, decor, spooky animatronics, and more! And don't worry, if you're not local and are just visiting like we were, they are more than happy to ship things out to you. It's obvious that customer service is important to the owners and the community has responded positively and embraced them seeing as they have been around over 100 years!

There's nothing like it elsewhere in Louisville! Every day of the year is a costume party /…read moreHalloween celebration. You could spend a long time, minimum an hour, browsing the aisles and appreciating the items you wouldn't typically find on a store shelf. We love, love, love the animated rooms that feel like mini haunted houses. It's a great opportunity to see what's inside the box before you make the investment. Some of the items are not for sale, having been handmade by a store associate to make their customers smile. Prices are fair and aligned with other sources. They do allow you to try on items which is nice. Some can be more expensive and you'd want to be certain they fit well. Besides costumes they have a ton of accessories and party themed decor. Parking is a bit tough. There's very limited space next to the building and much of the street parking is metered or a pay lot. Around Halloween it can take a few passes to find an available spot. No food or drinks allowed inside so leave them in the car.

My teenaged son wanted clothes for Christmas and had never been thrift shopping, so we made a day…read moreof it and went to several stores to buy his new "wardrobe." Nitty Gritty was by far the most thoughtfully curated of the stores we went to - but also the most expensive. As we perused the men's section upstairs, we noticed that several items were well above the budget we had set in place. That being said, the quality of nearly all of the items was above average. This is a true vintage store - not one where you will find used clothes bought from Target four years ago (not that there is anything wrong with that either). After about half an hour, he settled on a pair of $30 snowboarding pants that normally sells, from what our internet search revealed, for well over $150, so even though there was some initial sticker shock, the pants were well worth it. He also procured a very vintage sweater vest for $12 which he is insistent he will pair somehow with the pants - I'm looking forward to seeing this outfit. At any rate, I highly recommend this store for the true vintage connoisseur - someone who is looking for well made, lasting pieces and is willing to pay the higher prices for quality. This store has been around for ages and now I understand why: it is a walk back into time. The staff is friendly and helpful, too, which is always a plus, and parking was not an issue, though I had worried it might be.

The Nitty Gritty is a used clothing shop and costume rental store located on a Popular row of shops…read moreand bars off Barret Ave in Lousiville, Kentucky. I went shopping a few weeks back with my 5 girls and some friends when we stopped into this shop. The building walking in will Give you big time nostalgia vibes. Lots of oldest clothing styles and vintage items to browse in this two level shop. The men's department is upstairs and the costume rental area is in the very rear. When back there be sure to look in the rafters for some old school child terrorizing animal mascot heads that are fun to check out. On our trip here my oldest found a 50s retro looking swim suit that she fell in love with. It was reasonably priced so we made the purchase. Overall a pretty cool shop that was fun to browse and brought a blast from the past feeling for me personally. Only strange thing was there was rack with an old uofl mascot hoodie my second oldest wanted but it wasn't priced yet so they simply said "not for sale".

Ahh...the never in the same place, only around for a couple months Halloween stores. What would…read morethey do with stores after they shutdown, and there are no other interested tenants for a while, without them? I'll admit that they do have a great selection, with their online store having even more, but there's just something about these places that are here one month and gone the next. The prices are not much (or no) better than locally-owned shops, but they are probably more convenient for most people. They do have very friendly and helpful staff, which is always good.

As far as Halloween stores go, this one seemed rather large and quite organized, which was…read moreunexpected. This close to the actual holiday I anticipated disarray and a limited selection of previously assembled costumes but I assumed incorrectly. The wig selection was impressive while the prop variety left much to be desired. Of course it's expensive but that's to be expected.

Owner has been here for thirty years and is very nice. If you are nice to her, she may just cut…read moreyou a deal- DON'T try on the wigs without a wig-cap. You wouldn't try on bathing suits without underpants would you? (This question is rhetorical). If you don't have a wig cap, which I didn't, then you can purchase one for... a single dollar. How considerate of you! And sanitary. It should be stated as a caveat that the reason I chose to enter the store was due to my immediate Halloween need for a wig; however, after realizing my secret desire to dye my hair (which I never have at age 25), I decided to purchase a brunette version of my current hairstyle just to see. The, we'll call it intrigued, look on my boyfriend's face was priceless, and the wig itself was light and comfortable too. The store provides: derby hats, outrageous Nicki Minaj colored quaffs, and natural looking wigs of all lengths, volumes, styles and colors. She also sells matching handbags as well. I enjoyed the store because it was friendly, clean, well lit, and affordable (star for each). The sign for $19.95 sale wigs on the pavement was no joke, and I upgraded to a $29.99 hair piece that did just perfectly for my costume...and maybe an incognito visit home. I have been to other wig selling establishments and I've noticed that prices for decent pieces are usually upwards to $70+ alone. This store blew those prices out of the water. So why not five stars? I used my debit card and entered the pin, but the device failed to read it. Not sure if it was me for sure, but I had literally just used it. The technology in that sense could have been better, but otherwise the shop rocked. I will return if ever I'm craving a different dye job- or if I am choosing to impersonate another famous face for a fun holiday.

Mimi is so helpful when looking for the "right" color of wig that compliments me. I like shopping…read morethere. She is conscientious in maintaining a safe clean environment. She generally has a good selection of inventory to choose from. It's worth taking a look! You will be greeted and given great customer service!

We just had the most fantastic date night here! And with the help of Ms Audrey we made these two…read morecutie marionettes that we just love. Theres so much to choose from, literally anything you can think of! Audrey is willing to share advice and teach you new skills you didnt even know you could learn! She's so sweet, like the auntie we aspire to be. We cant wait to come back to pick Audreys brain for more unique projects

You know how you can just tell when someone has found their niche? You can tell by the way that…read morethey think through the fine details of their work and the care they take with offering it to others. They bring a passion with them to the expertise they offer you. That's what it's like to step into Ms Audrey's Emporium. The entrance is filled with art projects that invite you to explore within yourself- What do you wish to create? What crafting skill have you been meaning to pick up or grow? What part of you haven't you had a chance to express yet? And then Ms Audrey will ask you what you're interested in making, so she can help you bring it from idea to life! My artistic, seven-year-old daughter and I came to Louisville for spring break and enjoyed spending more than two days with Ms Audrey. We had stopped at the Speed Art Museum on our way into the city. Pro tip: The speed is free on Sundays. My daughter was inspired by some community artwork with mixed media on canvas. We showed a picture of the inspiration to Ms Audrey. She had the perfect materials and know-how to help us create our own masterpiece, inspired by the art we saw at the museum. My daughter did not want to do anything else in the city besides make art with Ms Audrey- we even skipped the children's museum. We learned different techniques for using the materials and I'll definitely be incorporating them as we continue to create at home. Ms Audrey helps you not only bring beauty into the world, but she makes learning a new craft accessible step by step. Her process helps you create while expanding your crafting skills along the way. She offers such a unique experience. As someone who continually strives to bring analog experiences to the younger generations, I fully approve and value the service she brings to the community. Her prices are absolutely affordable for the value and materials she has to offer. If you're considering starting a crafting hobby or working on a specific craft project, go see Ms Audrey.

amazing costume shop!!! very friendly owners!!!!!!!…read morethey aim to please!!! please check them out

Rent your Persona For the Weekend! This place is the only…read moreother Costume Rental place I could find in Louisville. The other, I will not mention since I did not go, I heard bad reviews. This little show is located on Story Avenue and is very senior mom and pop feel. You walk in and the place smells of moth balls and 1950's, but the costume selection is pretty decent. I think the owners made a lot of the pieces themselves, so please try on everything to make sure there are no loose seems or holes. However you do get a lower cost with the more mom made quality. A weekend rental for a full costume and all accessories (which includes any wigs, hats or jewelry) is only $65 and $60 a piece if you get a couples theme. The owners are very nice and accommodating and carry many sizes. Although, I couldn't find a bit more provocative Cleopatra they had many costumes that I may come back to view or rent if the time calls. I definitely will not count this place out in my costume search. Make sure to call ahead, since they sometimes have odd hours.

This may be my new favorite party store!…read more This store is bright, neat and very well organized. It is well stocked with decorations for almost any party theme including pretty much any Disney, superhero, cartoon, Pixar, animal-themed kids party. There is an entire aisle of candy and small gifts for guest party bags. Several costumes too. And so many balloons! I was able to find several great Mylar and smaller balloons for my son's birthday party. They inflated them there, quickly, and also offer delivery via DoorDash (I think) if you don't want to wait. The prices were fair and on par with what I found on Amazon, and the staff were friendly and helpful. Great all around!

Party City offers a huge selection of party supplies for birthdays, bridal, holidays and everything…read morein between. I love how there's an entire aisle of color-coded plates, napkins, cup and utensils. Looking for a popular theme or character? You may find it here. A lot of candy is available from full bags to individual pieces. This is a great opportunity to fill up a piñata, party goodie bag or Christmas stocking. Pro tip: don't come down the aisle hungry. Party City offers helium filled balloons, including individual numbers to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries. Looks like they do pre-orders to make pick up easier. I'm going to keep Party City in mind more often. With Covid and more small celebrations happening at home this may be the spot to help me take it up a notch.