- Museum Store Sunday is Nov. 26 in 25 countries and on five continents
- National Canal Museum, Sigal Museum and National Museum of Industrial History will participate as part of the global event
- Museum stores have a unique interest in the local area
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — If you're looking for a special gift from the Lehigh Valley this holiday season, local museums want you to know about what they have to offer.
On Nov. 26, thousands of museums across the country and around the world, including three in the Lehigh Valley, will participate in Museum Store Sunday.
At the National Museum of Industrial History store in Bethlehem, one can see books, T-shirts and pens, but an unusual offering is a brick from Martin Tower, the storied headquarters of Bethlehem Steel Corp. and Lehigh Valley's tallest building that was imploded in May 2019.
Megan Pildis, vice president of business development at National Museum of Industrial History, assured the brick is really from Martin Tower.
Other items for purchase are Bethlehem Steel safety glasses, a pair of Bethlehem Steel worker gloves and a clock made out of an I-beam from Martin Tower.
The items give a glimpse into the past and what lies ahead.
Pildis said bringing awareness to what museum shops carry is important.
“A lot of people don't think of museum stores as a destination to come shop at,” she said.
“Certainly, you know, with the saturation of Black Friday shopping and online stores, it’s a way to encourage shopping locally and supporting a nonprofit.”
“The museum store brings history to life. The items in our shop represent the diverse history of our corridor. Museums are small businesses. It helps us keep our story alive.”Gianna Caruso, communications coordinator of Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor,
Gianna Caruso, communications coordinator of Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, felt the same way.
“The museum store brings history to life,” Caruso said. “The items in our shop represent the diverse history of our corridor.
“Museums are small businesses. It helps us keep our story alive.”
According to a news release, Museum Store Sunday was organized by the nonprofit Museum Store Association in 2017.
Three museums in the Lehigh Valley — the National Canal Museum, the Sigal Museum and the National Museum of Industrial History — will participate.
Caruso said that she hopes the community will appreciate the local museums even more.
“It’s an experience," she said. "You get to learn, find your gifts, explore this region’s heritage."