Museum Store Sunday

Wilton, CT (December 1st, 2024) – On Sunday, December 1, 2024, the Betts Museum Store at the Wilton Historical Society invites shoppers to participate in Museum Store Sunday, an annual holiday shopping day supporting cultural institutions and their stores. This year, more than 2,100 museum stores representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia, 25 countries and five continents will celebrate Museum Store Sunday and offer unique gifts for the holiday season—with all purchases supporting its parent institution and the artisans and craftspeople who create many of the gifts found in museum stores.

The day following Thanksgiving, Friday November 29th will be the opening day of the Wilton Historical Society’s Great Trains Holiday Show. This is the perfect opportunity to spend time with friends and family visiting this beautiful and magical antique train show, while also supporting your local historical society by shopping in the Betts Museum Store. On Museum Store Sunday, local handmade jewelry company, Anne Koplik Designs, will be joining us at the Betts Museum Store to offer even more holiday sparkle and goodies. We will have light treats and warm drinks to enjoy while you shop!

The number of participating cultural institutions has tripled since the Museum Store Association launched Museum Store Sunday in 2017. The global advocacy campaign’s new slogan, “Shop with Purpose,” reflects the organization’s mission to promote economic sustainability and cultural engagement for museums and the communities they support.

Kate Schureman, board president of the Museum Store Association and chief operating officer and vice president of administration of the Peoria Riverfront Museum in Peoria, Illinois, explains how shopping at cultural institutions during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend strengthens communities and their financial well-being.

“Purchasing locally made gifts at museum stores circulates money within shoppers’ communities,” Schureman said. “In turn, artists, businesses and museums in their neighborhoods have more funds to reinvest into their communities and foster local economic growth.”

While there is only one Museum Store Sunday every year, consumers are encouraged to shop at and support museum stores all year long. Approximately 91% of shoppers said they would return the following year to shop during Museum Store Sunday and 89% of shoppers said Museum Store Sunday encourages them to shop at museum stores throughout the year [Source: Museum Store Sunday 2023 Shoppers Survey].

Shoppers may find participating museum stores near them at http://www.museumstoresunday.org/find-a-store and those with online stores at http://www.museumstoresunday.org/find-an-online-store. 

For more information on events and promotions during Museum Store Sunday at the Wilton Historical Society, please visit wiltonhistorical.org/shop and follow us on social media: @wiltonhistoricalsociety & @bettsstore.

For up-to-date information on Museum Store Sunday, including a list of global museum store participants and online museum stores, visit www.museumstoresunday.org and:

• Follow Museum Store Sunday on Instagram at @museumstoresunday
• Like Museum Store Sunday on Facebook at facebook.com/museumstoresunday

About Wilton Historical Society
The Society’s Museum Store, like the original 18th-century Betts Store, features locally-made and one-of-a-kind items, many hand-crafted. Here you will discover beautiful gifts for all occasions, from jewelry, scarves, and letterpress note cards to nifty toys, games and crafts for kids. There is an excellent selection of home accessories and hostess gifts…unique candles, artwork, mugs, vases, cups and redware plates. The Betts Store is committed to supporting local craftsmen and businesses; some items are made in Wilton, some in Connecticut, and all are made in the U.S.A.

About the Museum Store Association
The Museum Store Association is a 501(c)3 organization with the mission of advancing the nonprofit retail industry, its stores and the success of professionals engaged in it. For more information, visit www.museumstoreassociation.org.

For More Information on Wilton Historical Society, please contact:

Jenna Garecht
[email protected]
203-762-7257

For More Information on Museum Store Sunday, Contact:
Museum Store Association
[email protected]