Museum Stores – American Alliance of Museums

The 2024 Museum Store Gift Guide

By Joseph O'Neill

As cheerful as the holiday season can be, it can also be a dizzying blur of to-dos, chief among them the task of finding thoughtful, interesting gifts that will delight their recipients. Museum stores are a blessing in this challenge, with …
Shop With Purpose: How to Join This Year’s Museum Store Sunday Event

By Susan DeLand

RIDDLE: How many times can a single dollar be spent in one transaction? ANSWER: At least six times if spent in a museum store: It pays for a unique and meaningful item. It buys education about a culture, technique, or museum object. It …
The Future of the Museum Store

By Elizabeth Merritt

This post was originally published in 2014 and is republished with updates. Read more about how to get involved in Museum Store Sunday taking place November 26, 2023! I had the pleasure of giving a talk at the Museum Store Association …
Why Museum Store Sunday Matters and What’s New for This Year

By Tia Bianchini, Stuart Hata, and Susan Tudor

Enter through the museum store! Much more than a gift shop, the museum store has become a major earned revenue stream for parent institutions as they continue to recover post-pandemic. And as museums and other cultural institutions embrace …
Mission Made: How Museum Stores Are Embracing Sustainability and Inclusivity

By Melody Caban & Elizabeth Price

When most people think of museum stores, they likely envision shelves filled with postcards, magnets, and keychains featuring famous artworks or other exhibits. In recent years, however, many have been making an effort through their …
Museum People’s Favorite Museum Stores

By Joseph O'Neill

Museumgoers know that one of the best places to find distinctive, cherishable objects, books, and apparel is in a museum store. With their connection to their institutions’ educational missions, these special stores boast a …
Museum Store Sunday 2022—Plan, Prepare, & Participate!

By Tia Bianchini & Susan Tudor

Museum Store Sunday is on November 27, the Sunday after Thanksgiving! Is your institution participating? Do not miss this chance to join forces with over 1,900 cultural institutions worldwide to spotlight and support your institution and …
Thriving as a Virtual Museum: The National Museum of American Jewish History’s Playbook

By Dr. Misha Galperin

Like many museums, the National Museum of American Jewish History (NMAJH)’s doors have remained closed to the public since March 2020. Our physical doors, that is. Our museum is very much open through virtual offerings—and we’re happy to …
Green Trends in Museum Retail

By Joyce S. Lee & Andrea Froehle

As a seamless extension of the museum experience and a culmination of the exhibitions on view, the museum store is uniquely poised to reinforce an institution’s mission and values. For many, increasingly, this includes sustainability. In …
Why Museum Store Sunday Matters More Than Ever This Year

By Susan Tudor, Emily Kowalski, and Stuart Hata

Museum Store Sunday, the Museum Store Association’s (MSA) signature advocacy initiative, is fast approaching, happening this year on November 29 during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. While this year’s event will look different due to …