The Museum of History Shop, located at the N.C. Museum of History in downtown Raleigh, offers an impressive selection of holiday gifts. Tar Heel traditions abound in the handmade ornaments, pottery, jewelry and other items. North Carolina-related products also include specialty foods, toys, books and crafts.
All profits from the sale of Museum Shop merchandise support programs and educational projects at the N.C. Museum of History. The Museum Shop is operated by the Museum of History Associates.
A sampling of these exquisite gift items follows.
The Museum Shop offers its own gold-plated ornament series highlighting North Carolina sites and symbols. A new ornament has been produced annually since 1983. This year’s ornament ($16) is the first of the series Seasons of the Capitol and depicts the State Capitol building in a wintry scene. The other seasons will appear on ornaments available later in 2009. Many ornaments from past years are still available, so you can begin your own collection.
A new resource has recently been added to the Museum Shop: merchandise offered by Our State magazine. The Museum Shop is the only retail location for Our State gifts, which are still available online and through the magazine
The wide selection of North Carolina pottery includes pieces by Ben Owen III of Seagrove, Sandy Cole and Kevin Brown of North Cole Pottery of Sanford, Vernon and Pam Owens of Seagrove, and Hamilton Williams of Valdese.
Handcrafted jewelry includes sterling-silver pendants, earrings and bracelets. The items are from Wilmington silversmith Lee Spivey, Grandmother’s Buttons and Raleigh silversmith Dianne Russell. The Museum Shop is the exclusive retail location for dogwood-themed jewelry created from copper recycled from the roof of the State Capitol building. These pieces are crafted by Stuart Nye of Asheville.
The cardinal, North Carolina’s state bird, appears on many beautiful decorative items: mugs, coasters, place mats, dish towels, hot pads and night-lights.
Many of the toys, puzzles, books, crafts and games make wonderful gifts for children, who can have fun while learning about history.
North Carolina Craft Knowledge Cards showcase the state’s rich craft tradition. Each of the 47 cards in the set features a color photograph of an object — glass, ceramics, sculpture, textiles or furniture — with brief essays that provide context and perspective.
For your convenience, you can shop by phone at 919-807-7835 or online at www.ncmuseumofhistoryshop.com. The Museum Shop’s regular hours are Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. The shop will be open on First Fridays from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. During the holidays, the Museum Shop will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Dec. 23 and closed on Dec. 24 and 25 and Jan. 1. Parking is free on weekends.