Bracelets made from safety pins and beads at the Yale Art Gallery store.

Gallery of Gifts

Whether you're searching for a one-of-a-kind object for that special someone or seeking stocking stuffers guaranteed to spark smiles, Yale's museum stores are good places to stop on your holiday shopping excursion. The shelves in each of the museum stores are packed with an array of merchandise -- from hand-made pottery and textiles to unique jewelry, toys, games, books, ornaments, calendars and stationery -- ranging in price from under $1 to several hundred dollars. New merchandise is arriving daily through the holiday season, so repeat visits are recommended. This holiday season, the museum stores at the Yale University Art Gallery and the Yale Center for British Art are jointly sponsoring a special display of their wares at the Yale Bookstore on Broadway. Across town, at the Peabody Museum of Natural History, the museum store recently moved into an expanded space off the right of the main lobby. Each of the museum stores also boasts a website for those who prefer to do their shopping online. But, however you prefer to shop, don't wait too long. Sunday, Dec. 23, will be the last shopping day at all three of the museum stores, as they are closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Peabody Museum of Natural History 170 Whitney Ave. 10 a.m.-4:45 p.m. Monday-Sunday www.peabody.yale.edu/store Mother Nature reveals both her artistic side and her playful side in this museum store. Shoppers can find items straight from the natural world -- including rocks, minerals and fossils -- as well as jewelry glittering with precious stones, and items hand-crafted from natural materials by indigenous peoples around the world. Elsewhere, plastic and plush prehistoric creatures roam alongside representatives from today's animal kingdom. Yale Center for British Art 1080 Chapel St. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday www.yale.edu/ycba/shop/index.htm You don't have to be an Anglophile to appreciate the British-made or British-themed items in this museum store. In addition to some of the finest textiles and pottery being created today on the British Isles, the shop features items bearing the visages of some of the nation's most famous folk -- from Shakespeare to Queen Victoria and more. Yale University Art Gallery 1111 Chapel St. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; 1-6 p.m. Sunday www.yale.edu/artgallery/shop.htm Like the gallery's collections, the items in this museum store reflect a range of styles and represent cultures from around the globe. Some of the items are decorated with famous works of art; others are works of art in their own right; still others supply the materials to create your own work of art. The store also shares a website with other art museums at www.museumshop.com. A calligraphy set at the Peabody Museum store. Elaborately-carved chess figures at the British Art Center shop. A display of frames, lamps and other printed materials at the British Art Center store T H I SW E E K ' SS T O R I E S Team to study common, but devastating brain virus Theologian wins $200,000 award Junior faculty members win University fellowships Seasonal shopping market brings retailers to 'shop' New Haven Historians both oppress and liberate the past, says Gaddis Naomi Schor, noted French literature scholar and critic, dies suddenly Medical students provide first line of care at clinic Two researchers honored with election to Institute of Medicine Galley of Gifts ISPS talk to explore ethics of biotechnology, conservation Yale Books in Brief Campus Notes Bulletin Home|Visiting on Campus|Calendar of Events|In the News|Bulletin Board Yale Scoreboard|Classified Ads|Search Archives|Deadlines Bulletin Staff|Public Affairs Home|News Releases| E-Mail Us|Yale Home Page