Leave Time for the Gift Shops!
August 14, 2009 by Jenna Schnuer
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Museums are marvelous. Parks are perfect. Aquariums are A-OK. But, really, can you deny that you heart races just that much more over the thought of the post-attraction gift shop visit? Whether you’re after salt shakers that pay homage to Old Faithful or a birdhouse reminder of the See Rock City barn-side ad campaign, it’s off to the gift shop with you. Joy awaits. Here, some of the most memorable shops from around the 50…
Husband Tom takes a lesson from Smokey.
I’ve been to
Smokey Bear Historical Park in Capitan, New Mexico, I’ve done paid my respects at Smokey Bear’s grave, and I got the T-shirt at the chock-full-of-goodness gift shop. I love Smokey’s retro look–I hope they never update him—and considered surprisingly-well designed pins, patches, and hats before settling on a gray ringer T with nothing but Smokey’s instantly identifiable mug on it. I particularly like the fact that it doesn’t advertise anything but fire safety (and who can argue with that?), and I’d rather wear Smokey than Mickey any day.
Photo courtesy of the Illinois Bureau of Tourism
Considering my love for marine mammals, most of my favorite gift shops focus on whales and dolphins. My favorite is at the
Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. I was a volunteer in the facility’s marine mammal department when they upgraded the gift shop in 1996, and remember capitalizing on my 25 percent discount like a house-flipper in the current real estate market. Whale puzzles, mobiles, posters–I bought ‘em all. I gave the trinkets as gifts. I hoarded them. And I used the heck out of them. All that remains is one little mug. I’m drinking coffee from it right now.
Photo courtesy of bbaunach via Flickr.
Of all the museum gift shops I’ve ever visited, none has ever felt as much an extension of the physical space and mission of its museum mama as the one at The Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston. It’s all light, glass, and excellent things to look at–and, of course, buy. I want want want that
folding bicycle! I swear: I could
decorate an entire apartment with the goodies in there. Oh for the bucks to do it.
Have a favorite gift shop–or gift shop-related memory–from your U.S. travels?
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I’m partial to the US Space & Rocket Center gift shop right here in Huntsville, AL. Where else can you eat freeze-dried astronaut ice cream and get the little flight suit-wearing teddy bears?
I love freeze-dried astronaut ice cream! Well, not the strawberry–but the chocolate and vanilla? Yes, please. So Chris — is freeze-dried ice cream a regular part of your diet? Or is it a special occasion food?
Definitely a special occasion food. If I’m ever in space I’m taking nothing but the ice cream.
You are a man of v. v. good taste.
Hm, I can’t remember if I saw freeze-dried ice cream at the gift shop of the New Mexico Museum of Space History, but I bet it’s there. I did get Jenna a pretty good floaty pen there, to use when she interviewed Buzz Aldrin.
I use that pen all the time. Love it love it love it.
I love the astronaut pen! So how did you like Buzz? I’ve talked to him a couple of times at conferences. He REALLY likes toy models.
How do I explain how I felt about interviewing Buzz. I’ll just go with….it was interesting. I do feel very lucky to have had the chance to speak to somebody who walked on the moon. I don’t usually get nervous before interviews but was a little jittery pre-Buzz. But bits about things like sending humans up to live on Mars (and those would be one-way trips) got sort of confusing. Here’s the final product…
http://www.americanwaymag.com/buzz-aldrin-astronaut-sharespace-foundation-the-40th-anniversary-of-his-moonwalk-1
So the toy models? Details please. The interview never went there (hallelujah for small miracles).
There wasn’t a reply button on your last comment, so this might show up above it. Both times I’ve seen Buzz speak at a conference he had a bunch of toy models of his spacecraft and station ideas, and during the talk he would sort of fly them around with his hands and occasionally with sound effects. It was kinda funny, especially at a technical conference rather than a school talk. If you haven’t seen the Imax film ‘Magnificent Desolation’ you really should.
Have you guys been to the gift shop at the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward? Matteo? I love the bins full of gelantinous squid and other marine life, and you can’t beat the park-ranger action figures. http://www.alaskasealife.org.
I haven’t been to the SeaLife Center but I love the gift shop at the Alaska Islands & Ocean Visitor Center in Homer (http://www.islandsandocean.org/). I also love the building that houses the center. It’s so pretty — and just a short trail walk to the Two Sisters Bakery (oh, the cookies) and the beach.
But I must go to the SeaLife Center. Must. Own. Park Ranger Action Figure. I have a growing obsession with park rangers — love that you can find them everywhere from gift shop shelves to the visitor center right in the middle of Boston (hats and all). They’re real-life American superheroes.
First, true confession: i love the gift shop at the end of the Pirates of the Carribean ride at Disney (Fantasyland). I can’t help; all that silly pirate stuff and yohoho and swagger, well, had to buy a pirate flag, didn’t I? and some beads.
But in terms of atrractions that are a bit more accessible, I have to say that the gift shop at the Missouri Botanical Gardens (here) in St. Louis is a winner! All kinds of cool statuary, often giftware with lovely designs, real plants of all kidns, fashion that is botanically based, and wearable! tons of books, great little gifties, even affordable watcheswith all kinds of floral designs, and always, a holiday section, botanically based. Oh, and the kids section with the coolest silliest stuffed animals and finger puppets! Hmmm…and we may be visiting the Garden this weekend, come to think of it. The water lilies in the reflecting pools are at their peak!
Oh oh — No need to wrap your comment up as a confession. Anybody who loves the Pirates of the Caribbean gift shop is our kind of traveler. We are proud collectors of kitsch. And, on a personal note, anybody who likes P of the C is a-ok by me. I love that ride — especially the part where the pirate’s leg is hanging overhead and you can see all the leg hairs on it. Love it. I mean, it’s no Small World but…it comes close.
And the Missouri Botanical Gardens shop sounds fantastic. Finger puppets!!! (By the by, if you ever put on a finger puppet show — gin goes well. Not saying how I know but…I know.) Have a great time at the Garden this weekend. Check back in and let us know if you buy anything in the shop.
We hope to see you round these parts more in the future.
Sorry Sophie, Smokey has been updated. He was in a series of commercials a couple of years ago where he looks like he’s on steroids.
Ohhh, yeah. I think I remember that Frankie. His face hasn’t changed much, though. At least not the face on my T-shirt. And he’s not changed as much as Betty Crocker or the Columbia Pictures lady.
[...] at Flyover America, Jenna Schnuer, Sophia Dembling and Matt Villano (World Hum contributors, all) pick their favorites. I’ll be bookmarking the post—I love a good museum gift shop, whether in America or [...]