If you’re looking for a really special gift this holiday season, don’t forget about museums! Before I mention all the museum gift shops in Metro Vancouver, here are some other ways that you can give a great museum gift:
- Buy someone a gift museum membership. These are usually available for a reasonable cost, and can often be purchased in the following categories: individual, student, senior, dual (two people; usually living at the same address), and family. Memberships are a great way to support museums, and to give someone the opportunity to visit a particular museum for no charge (usually) for one year or more! There are often other great benefits that come with a museum membership (e.g. gift shop discounts, invitations to special events, etc.).
- Become a “Friend” of a museum. Individual, dual or family “Friend” opportunities are often available. By becoming a Friend, you become an advocate for the museum, and can engage in volunteer opportunities or other activities that help support museums financially and in other ways.
- Make a donation to a museum. Visit the links page on the City Diorama to see how you can make a donation to a particular museum in Metro Vancouver. Alternatively, you can visit CanadaHelps, the Canadian donation portal, to see if a museum you would like to support accepts donations online (search by the museum’s name or do an advanced search for “museum” and a city of your choice).
- Give your time to a museum in the New Year. Museums are often looking for reliable volunteers who can commit to volunteering for a period of at least 6 months. Volunteer criteria and responsibilities vary from museum to museum, but it’s quite common for museums with educational programming to be looking for volunteers who would enjoy delivering school and public programs. Contact a museum near you to learn more about available volunteer opportunities, or seek these out on the Go Volunteer website.
Another way you can support museums this holiday season is to shop at museum gift shops. A significant portion of the sales from museum gift shops help fund museum programming, exhibits, and other activities and events. The museums and related attractions listed below have gift shops that you should consider visiting in December (and year round!). The links in the list take you directly to information about the gift shop (when available):
- Bloedel Floral Conservatory
- Burnaby Village Museum
- Fort Langley National Historic Site – On Dec. 1st & 2nd the historic site will be having its Fourth Annual Christmas Craft Fair.
- George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary — Great gifts for any bird watchers on your Christmas list!
- Museum of Anthropology at UBC — From Nov. 20 to Dec. 24 MOA is holding its Windows on the World Art Bazaar featuring items for sale from around the world. Please read my earlier post about this event.
- Pacific Museum of the Earth at UBC –This gift shop will be having a Winter Holiday Sale from Dec. 3-21 with the following discounts: Books 30% off, jewellery 50% off, collector minerals 50% off, clothing 40% off, toys 10% off, and all other merchandise 20% off.
- UBC Botanical Garden — Great gifts for gardeners! The Garden will be having its Holiday Wreath Sale from Nov. 28 to Dec. 9 (or until the wreaths are sold out). The wreaths are priced from $35 to $80 and feature “unusual evergreens, colourful berries and exotic foliage collected in the Botanical Garden and from the gardens of volunteers and garden members.” The garden advises those interested in purchasing Christmas wreaths to arrive early for the best selection as there will only be about 300 wreaths in total.
- Vancouver Aquarium — Online shopping available.
- Vancouver Police Centennial Museum — Where else can you buy a gift set of 12 Vancouver Police Department shield chocolates made of 100% Belgium Callebaut milk chocolate??
- VanDusen Botanical Garden — Another great place to shop for the gardeners on your Christmas list. The Garden will be having a Holiday Wreath & Centrepiece Sale on Dec. 8-9 (10am-4pm both days) in the Entrance Pavilion. This special sale is presented by the VanDusen Dried Flower Arrangers.
- White Rock Museum & Archive — From Nov. 23 to Dec. 22 the White Rock Museum & Archive will be holding a Holiday Craft Fair featuring local crafters and their creations. Visit the fair for an “interesting selection of unique work, including handmade jewellery, decorative ornaments, tasty edibles and more.”
Did I miss a gift shop? Let me know at citydiorama[at]gmail[dot]com and I will add it to the list. Happy gift giving!
