Updated November 2026
Shopping local around Lake Minnetonka is one of the best ways to spend an afternoon, one storefront at a time. Downtown Excelsior in particular is packed with independent shops run by people who live here, and a few more are worth the short drive along the lake. These six are local favorites for gifts, home goods, clothing and one-of-a-kind finds.
Pair a shopping stroll with lunch from our Lake Minnetonka restaurants guide and you have an easy day around the lake.
Shopping local in downtown Excelsior
1. Amore and Fede
226 Water Street, Excelsior · amorefede.com
This family-owned women’s clothing and accessories boutique has been on Water Street since 2007. Debbie, Daran and Brittany stock styles for women of all ages, and regulars say it’s their first stop at the start of every season.
2. GRAY Home and Lifestyle
Water Street, Excelsior · grayhomeandlifestyle.com
Mother-daughter owners Dee Dee and Chloe Lappen took over the longtime Gray Gardens shop and turned it into a lifestyle store with clothing, home goods, apothecary and their own GRAY Pottery line. The look is clean, calm and minimal. The shop moved one block closer to the lake into a renovated historic building, with free parking out back.
3. Golden Rule
350 Water Street, Excelsior · shopgoldenrule.com
Erin Parrish Duininck opened Golden Rule in 2015, and it has become a Water Street mainstay. Expect art, jewelry, cards, home decor, clothing and what fans call the best sock wall in the Twin Cities, much of it from local and independent makers. The shop’s guiding idea is that everything should be meaningful in one way or another.
4. The Maker’s Studio
400 Second Street, Excelsior · themakersstudio-mn.com
Ryan and Suzanne Huggett opened The Maker’s Studio in 2018 to connect shoppers with the people who make things. You’ll find handcrafted wood furniture, ceramics, glass and textiles, most of it made by Minnesota artisans. It’s a short walk from Excelsior Bay.
5. The Vintage Loft
434 Second Street, Excelsior
An ever-changing little shop of custom-painted, repurposed vintage furniture, plus new and vintage home decor with plenty of lake-inspired pieces. It’s women-owned and dog-friendly. Note that it’s closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Worth the drive
6. Hope Chest for Breast Cancer Resale Shop
3850 Shoreline Drive, Wayzata (Navarre area) · hopechest.com
Founder Barbara Hensley lost her two sisters to breast cancer and started the Hope Chest for Breast Cancer Foundation in 2001. Its resale shop on Shoreline Drive is packed with donated high-end women’s clothing, upscale furniture and home decor, and sales help fund emergency grants for Minnesota breast cancer patients and their families. Shoppers say you never know what you’ll find, so stop in often.
Make a day of shopping local around Lake Minnetonka
Downtown Excelsior is easy to walk, with street parking and public lots near Water Street. Many shops keep shorter hours in winter, so check before you go. For more ideas, see things to do in Excelsior and the Tonka Insider events calendar.
Have a favorite local shop we should add? Tell us about it.