Gift Shop

Yesterday, I made it back to the Laurel Museum so I could check out their gift shop. My previous visit, I arrived so late that by the time I was done looking at the exhibits in the museum, they had closed the gift shop. The lady who ran the shop highly recommended so I made a mental note to come back and check it out.

Like the museum, I found the gift shop to be small. They have some books on Laurel as well as Maryland for sale. They also had some children's books that explained various things like how a mill worked and who the miller was. There were also some fancy mustards produced possibly by one of the members of the historical society. It was a decent enough offering considering the size of the museum.

Another reason to visit the gift shop was you got to see what the kitchen areas would've looked like for those who lived in the house. They also have a 20 minute video you can watch that can tell you more about them and possibly about the house. The volunteers who ran the gift shop were very helpful and one was very knowledgeable about Laurel.

Overall, I found the gift shop to be all right. Like the museum, it is very small. Another problem the museum has is its location. Barring a visitor taking Interstate-95, it isn't easy to get to. Parking is also a problem during the summer as you have to compete with swimmers for spots on the street. Lastly, the volunteers are a blessing and a curse for the museum. They are a blessing in that they are very enthusiastic about the museum and Laurel. I found them to be very informative. They are a curse in that they limit the hours the museum can be open. The museum is only open 3 days a week and never more than 4 hours at a time. This can make it difficult to visit the museum. If you happen to be in Laurel on a day the museum is open, it would be worth a short stop but, I wouldn't make any special trips to see this museum. For all the hassles, it isn't worth it.