Antiques & makers · E 1st St from about Oak Ave east through the Hotchkiss Block (200 block)
Sanford
First St, north on SunRail.
Sanford's historic downtown north of Orlando centers on First Street, where storefronts hold antiques, folk art galleries, an indie bookshop and maker-driven gift stores. Suits browsers who like old buildings and folk art, with restaurants and a craft cocktail scene for after.
Antiques · Folk art · First Street
Photo: Ebyabe · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- In our directory
- 12 shopseach one verified
- Where
- E 1st St from about Oak Ave east through the Hotchkiss Block (200 block)Antiques & makers
- Right now
- Typical hours
- Getting here
- ParkingThe City of Sanford says downtown parking is free and posts downtown parking maps on its visitors page. The city also runs a free trolley service downtown; no garage names, fees or SunRail connections were listed on a loaded page.
Insider guide
Shopping Sanford.
The story
Sanford's historic downtown sits north of Orlando and centers on First Street. The shopping runs on E 1st St from about Oak Ave east through the Hotchkiss Block in the 200 block, with more on side streets such as N and S Oak Ave, S Park Ave, Magnolia Ave and S Sanford Ave.
Storefronts hold antiques, folk art galleries, used and indie bookshops and maker-driven gift stores. It suits browsers who like old buildings and folk art, with restaurants and a craft cocktail scene for after.
What to Expect
The Hotchkiss Block at 211 E 1st St holds Gallery on First, a folk art gallery with resident artists and classes (it carries on the space Jeanine Taylor ran until she retired in December 2025). Magpie's Modern General Store (217) sells artisan soaps, housewares and stationery from independent makers. Also on the 200 block, Maya Books & Music (204) has more than 100,000 used books plus vinyl, The Treehouse Antiques (208) spreads over several levels, and Wondermade (214), the Sanford marshmallow maker, runs its flagship cafe across two storefronts.
Off First Street, Spellbound Bookstore leans toward romance, mystery and fantasy, Simply Homemade 1913 bakes Southern cakes and cobblers, and The Emporium on Park sells infused olive oils and spices. On Magnolia Ave, Sanford Homebrew Shop (115) stocks beer, cider, mead and cheese-making supplies, and Bicikleta Bike Shop (229) does rentals and repairs. El Coqui Bakery bakes Puerto Rican breads and pastries daily.
Best Time to Visit
Hours vary by shop, so check before you go. Saturday morning is a good time, since the city lists a Saturday morning farmers market downtown, and First Street hosts the monthly Alive After 5 street party. The Hotchkiss Block galleries hold a joint fall open house with a pop-up art show (Oct 4, 2025 was the 4th annual). During Shop Small Business Weekend, pick up a shopping passport at the Sanford Information Center and collect stamps for a raffle basket.
If You Only Have an Hour
Start at the Hotchkiss Block for Gallery on First and Magpie's. Then work the 200 block: Wondermade (214), The Treehouse Antiques (208) and Maya Books & Music (204).
The directory
12 shops, all in one place.
Tap a shop or a dot on the map to see it.
Food & drink4 places
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Flagship cafe of the Sanford marshmallow maker, selling handmade marshmallows in many flavors, s'mores kits, chocolates and artisan ice cream across two storefronts.
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Puerto Rican bakery and cafe on Sanford Ave baking breads and pastries daily, with coffee, breakfast, sandwiches, empanadas and other sweet and savory island staples.
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Pantry shop on Park Avenue selling infused olive oils and vinegars, salts, spices and gourmet pantry goods, with giftable food items for hosts and cooks.
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Small bakery on Oak Avenue making Southern-style cakes, pies, cobblers and cookies, plus custom wedding and celebration cakes, with some vegan and gluten-free options.
Books2 places
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Women-owned indie bookshop with new and used books for all ages, leaning toward romance, mystery and fantasy, plus special editions, bookish gifts and monthly book clubs.
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Longtime used bookstore on First Street with more than 100,000 used and collectible books plus vinyl records, CDs, DVDs, posters and vintage finds.
Galleries1 place
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Folk art gallery and working studio community in the historic Hotchkiss Building, with international and regional folk art, resident artists, rotating shows and classes.
View gallery page →Website →@galleryonfirstsanfordDirections
Specialty2 places
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Brewing and fermentation supply shop with ingredients, starter kits and equipment for beer, wine, cider, mead and cheese making, plus classes for beginners.
View restaurant page →Website →@sanfordhomebrewshopDirections
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Downtown bike shop selling bikes and trikes from several major brands, with repairs, tune-ups, rentals, accessories and apparel for beginners and regular riders.
Gifts1 place
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Independent general store in the Hotchkiss Block selling artisan soaps and apothecary goods, housewares, kitchen items, stationery, cards and clothing from independent makers.
Vintage1 place
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Multi-level antique and vintage shop selling collectibles, glassware, jewelry, art, hats, records and handmade pieces alongside older furniture and home decor.
Dining1 place
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Chef-driven farm-to-table restaurant on W First Street serving seasonal Southern cooking from local ingredients, with dinner service and Saturday brunch.
View restaurant page →Website →@thetennesseetruffleDirections
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This week
In Sanford this week.
Typical hours
Most shops keep the hours below.
Hours vary by individual store. Always check with specific retailers.
Eat, drink, stay
Between shops, close by.
Ratings are the scores saved in our directory and are not live. Check the listing for the current score.
Getting here
Parking and transit.
You can skip the car: take SunRail to Sanford Station and ride the free city trolley, which runs Monday to Saturday, into downtown. Check the TSO Mobile trolley tracker app for current times.
- PParkingThe City of Sanford says downtown parking is free and posts downtown parking maps on its visitors page. The city also runs a free trolley service downtown; no garage names, fees or SunRail connections were listed on a loaded page.
Keep exploring
If you liked this block of the city, try these next.
Park Avenue
Winter Park's brick-lined main street runs along Central Park with locally owned clothiers, jewelers, a bookstore and the Morse Museum, while Hannibal Square on New England Ave adds Rifle Paper Co.'s flagship and more boutiques. It suits a slow half day of browsing, lunch and a museum stop.
This week
Audubon Park
A locally owned Main Street district between Winter Park, Leu Gardens and downtown, built around the East End Market food hall and a short run of record, vintage and garden shops on Corrine Drive. It suits food-first browsing and anyone hunting vinyl, vintage or Florida-made gifts.
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College Park
A bungalow neighborhood just northwest of downtown whose Main Street, Edgewater Drive ("the Drive"), mixes gift shops, a record store, boutiques and a long-running bike shop with cafes and wine bars. It suits a relaxed local errand-and-lunch outing rather than a full shopping day.
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Guides for Sanford
All guides →
Shopping Disney Springs
Disney's free-entry shopping district in Lake Buena Vista, area by area: World of Disney and the LEGO Store in the Marketplace, Town Center's fashion and beauty flagships, food gifts at The Landing, and two MICHELIN-listed restaurants.
Read guide →Shopping Near Rollins College: Park Avenue & Hannibal Square
Rollins sits at the south end of Park Avenue, so its shopping is a walk: the campus bookstore, boutiques and a bookstore on Park Avenue, Rifle Paper Co. in Hannibal Square, the Saturday farmers' market and Publix a short drive away.
Read guide →Stay in the loop
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