01 Sep Museum Store reopens to the public

BEAUFORT — Public operations remain suspended at the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort — with one notable exception: The Museum Store has reopened to the public.

“It’s wonderful to see people again,” Museum Store Manager Francoise Boardman said during a break in the steady flow of customers.

The Museum Store, which is located in the museum lobby, is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Members of the Friends of the Maritime Museum receive 30 percent off their regularly priced purchases through Labor Day. North Carolina state employees receive 20 percent off during that same period.

Boardman says that is quite a bargain.

“To be a museum store already means better quality for your money,” she said.

Boardman said the coastal-themed gift items remain popular, and the pirate items are always a hit. However, since she reopened on Aug. 11, she’s noticed an increase in one particular class of purchase.

“They love the gift items we have available,” she said. “But besides gifts, many people are buying puzzles and craft items for use during this time.”

Recreational and activity items include puzzles, games, origami, mermaid craft kits, books and more, priced from $4 for a deck of pirate playing cards up to $20 for a mermaid tail jewelry making kit.

The museum is located at 315 Front Street in downtown Beaufort. The entrance to the Museum Store, as well as the exit, is through the museum door that faces Front Street. A sanitation station is set up inside at the entrance, and cloth face masks are required. Signage directs traffic one way through the store. While the shop is open, museum exhibits remain closed to the public, and public restrooms are not available. For more information, contact store staff at 252-504-7764 or visit ncmaritimemuseumbeaufort.com.