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Six miles of PVC tubing provides radiant heat and cooling to the marble floors of the Calatrava-designed Milwaukee Art Museum addition.

Milwaukee Art Museum
 

Five Great Museum Gift Shops

by Judith Kirkwood

Museum gift shops are great places to find unique accessories and home decor items, as well as art books, distinctive cards, tasteful toys, and offbeat surprises. Here are five of my favorites.

Bergstrom-Mahler Museum Shop
A stunning collection of paperweights and other glassworks by international artists, including botanically accurate flower representations and designs that mimic fireworks, candies, and kaleidoscopes. Extraordinary.
Madison Museum of Contemporary Art store

Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA) Museum Store
Find scarves and purses, glass vases, raku pots that evoke imaginary countries, a juicer that looks like a rocket ship, all in downtown Madison at the Overture Center for the Arts. Delightfully eclectic.

Mt. Horeb Mustard Museum Gift Shop
More like a house party than a store. Sample mustards made with microbrewed beer, exotic fruits, or edible flowers--everything from Elizabethan Cannonball Mustard with Garlic to Maine Maple Champagne Mustard. Festive and fun.

Aeronautica, Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Airventure Museum Store
Anything to do with flight, from airplane salt and pepper shakers to warbird ceiling fans to model kits; you can even find gift certificates for plane rides at Pioneer Airport. For aviation and history buffs.

Milwaukee Art Museum Store
Designed by Santiago Calatrava, this store is full of natural light and one of-a-kind gift selections of jewelry, books, posters, magnets, accessories, and art objects, many representing current and past exhibitions. Inspired.