Colonial Williamsburg: Taking Home a Piece of History

By David E. Kriso

The quaint city of Williamsburg, Va., has forever been entrenched in our country’s history. From its first days of being settled to times of revolutionary conflict, it has served as an iconic living time capsule. Each and every year, guests are enthralled with the new and amazing items that Colonial Williamsburg’s gift shops have to offer. From reminders of the village’s past, to mementos of their visit, to celebrating the village’s place in American history, Colonial Williamsburg offers an array of souvenirs highlighting the importance of appreciating history. More importantly, such souvenirs and novelties are essential to preserving memories for generations to follow.

Heather Hufton , Colonial Williamsburg’s e-commerce manager, took the time to share important details on a handful of popular gift shop products purchased by guests on a repeat basis. Initially, Hufton was asked to share her vision of the experience she wants guests to have in Colonial Williamsburg’s gift shops.

“After discovering arts and crafts from centuries past in The Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg, guests can stop by the museum store to pick up treasures of their very own inspired by objects they see in our exhibits. The museum store offers jewelry, books, historic reproductions, and Americanmade crafts. One-of-a-kind handmade pottery, glassware, and framed prints inspired by the museum’s folk art collection are special finds,” she said, adding “The museum store space features vaulted ceilings, floating shelves full of colorful art glass highlighted by natural light pouring through the floor-to-ceiling windows, and exposed brick all working together to create a calming and peaceful environment conducive to exploring and discovering. Merchandise is approachable, inviting shoppers in to learn more about the story each item tells.”

To touch base on the specifics of the museum store, she said, “Each piece in our store is carefully curated to reflect our collections. Unlike the objects behind glass in the rest of the museum, the art available in the museum store can go home with our guests. It’s a very meaningful purchase for most of our customers.”

All gift shops at popular attractions have their best-sellers. They all tell a simple story of a guest’s visit. At Colonial Williamsburg, the gift shops feature products that celebrate the village’s living history. Hufton energetically shared some of the merchandise best-sellers at Colonial Wil-

Continued on page 38 liamsburg’s gift shops. “The museum store’s best-sellers include American-made folk art from dozens of artists, sewing and craft kits, and books. The success of these items is directly related to what museum visitors are experiencing at Colonial Williamsburg. Merchandise that connects the story of the place to the product and who made it is the most successful,” she said. She pointed out a popular item purchased by adults, “Early Seating Upholstery” by Leroy Graves. “It’s directly related to the exhibit Upholstery CSI in the museum, highlighting Mr. Graves’ groundbreaking restoration process for upholstered furniture that has become a standard in museum conservation today,” she added. Hufton then turned to a popular item for children, “Down on the Farm.” It features characters based on the objects in the collection such as children’s toys. She said, “It’s a wonderful for children to remember their visit to Colonial Williamsburg and the museum.”

Every museum’s gift shop has unique approach to upselling new and interesting items. At, Colonial Williamsburg, there is no shortage of that proficiency. Hufton described the merchandising department’s methods; “Our team focuses on connecting the products with the guests’ experience of Colonial Williamsburg. Our collections, the historic area, programs, and interpreters are all sources of inspiration for the merchandise in our shops.” When asked to further elaborate on this, she said, “When introducing a new item, we ground ourselves in the story behind the object and maker of the piece. At the museum gift shop, guests are already coming into the store inspired by what they have seen on exhibit, and we delight in being able to make the connection between art they can purchase today with something they just saw dating back hundreds of years. It’s a meaningful connection that we never get tired of making with our customers.”

To keep the visitors’ interest and to maintain its educational nature, Colonial Williamsburg is always introducing new merchandise to keep its mission alive.

Further, such new merchandise has a unique purpose. When asked to point out the new products that are available in the museum’s gift shops, she replied, “One of our featured artists at the Museum store is Susan Daul and we are very excited to add more of her pieces to our inventory. Susan Daul makes reproductions of Fraktur art, a style of folk art made in early America by German immigrants that settled in eastern Pennsylvania. Common forms of Fraktur include marriage certificates, baptismal records, and other life events. The pieces are hand-printed, drawn, and colored and no two are exactly alike.” When asked why these new products were chosen, she said, “Because of the unique nature of the arts and crafts items we sell at the museum gift shop, we are constantly adding new pieces and artists to our offering. That’s one of the most fun things about the store – it looks a little different every time you visit, so customers can re-discover new art to add to their collection every visit.

Gift shop products do more than bring in revenue. They are reminders of guests’ experience. They serve as mementos of exhibits featured at an attraction. Colonial Williamsburg’s gift shops exemplify both of those attributes. Whether drawing the interests of adults, teens, and children, Colonial Williamsburg’s gift shop products enable all three age groups to be entertained, informed, and inspired. From folk art, to exploring immigrants’ history, to children’s books depicting colonial life, visitors are undoubtedly amazed at what they find. In fact, Colonial Williamsburg doesn’t just carry inviting and enthralling souvenirs. Smart merchandising is what makes Colonial Williamsburg a place to visit time and again. It takes fine professionals with enduring visions, a loving passion for history, keeping the past and present alive, and inviting visitors back to be a part of history on a repeat basis. It’s not just the exhibits that make Colonial Williamsburg an enthralling attraction. The gift shop merchandise also tells the story, teaching the lessons of, and keeping the emphasis on, the past. ❖