The Crystal Palace or Under Glass Building is situated on the Tay Basin across from City Hall. The structure is manufactured from the remnants of the glass street enclosures that used to cover Rideau street in nearby Ottawa. From the Mother's Day Weekend to the Thanksgiving Day Weekend, the building will house the new Crystal Palace Market run by the Town of Perth. The market features local artisans and craftspeople as well as local produce. The market is open Saturday mornings and may include Wednesdays in the near future. Come on in and meet some great people and see some exciting local talent.
In addition, the local Perth Farmers' Market operates outside the Crystal Palace providing local organic food products. Come for the Freshness - Stay for the Fun!
The downtown area features 1800 era buildings housing more than 80 specialty boutiques, shops, antique stores, restaurants and flea markets. Visitors can expect a shopping experience as far away as you can get from the global multinational mall experience. Come back in time to experience the future of shopping.
These downtown stores provide the visitor with an impressive line up of products. Giftware, souvenirs, high tech kitchen gear, clothing, linens, inflatable kayaks, scrapbooking supplies, antiques and so much more can be found within a couple of block radius. For a list of many of the downtown merchants you can visit [Downtown Heritage Perth].
A popular shopping destination for local art is [Riverguild Fine Crafts]. This artist cooperative features the works of many local artists and artisans. Everything from fine arts, to the most wonderful kaleidoscope you will ever see, to cooperative games are available in this shop.
A great deal of local arts and crafts can be found throughout the town. For example, the paintings, prints and art cards of internationally known Nostalgic Realism artist - Craig Campbell - is available at many downtown stores. Craig's nostalgic portrayal of the steam train era is particularly attractive to visitors.
