Virginia Shopping Tips by matcrazy1 Top 5 Page for this destination

The Haversack Store: Richmond - Take a piece of history home

The Haversack Store is located inside the modern building of the Museum of the Confederacy, just right of the entrance. I was impressed with the things offered there, all in a small space. It was real paradise for fans of history and the Civil War. Well, being at the beginning of quite expensive trip I didn't buy anything there but I see the store online here now.

What to buy: - apparel (museum t-shirts, hats, ties)
- books related to the Civil War and museum publications,
- flags of the Confederacy,
- gifts (statues, mugs, patches, pocket watches, plates)
- military items (swords, gauntlets, belt buckles, hats, pistols)
- multimedia (CD Rom, videotapes, cassettes)
- prints posters (signed prints, maps)
- stationary (note cards)
- toys (cannons, soldiers, kepis, children's books).

Details in my Richmond shopping tips.

What to pay: From a few bucks to... hundreds. Generally prices were not that high as in some other museum stores I visited later on.

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Address: MOC Haversack, 1201 East Clay Street, Richmond, VA

Directions: In the Museum of the Confederacy, right to the entrance.

Other Contact: havsack@moc.org

Phone: +1 (804) 649-1861 ext. 53

Theme: Gifts

Natural Bridge Gift Shop: They sell Virginia's hospitality :-)

It's one of the largest gift stores I have seen in the USA. It offers various gifts, souvenirs, toys, apparel and home decor. A large classical building of the store was decorated before incoming Halloween. Inside I was again a bit surprised when I saw Christmas decorations sold in the middle of October. Well, it's not that rare in the USA.

What to buy: I paid attention to casual T-shirts with writings Natural Bridge Virginia and "I am a nature wonder" (for kids) and "Old as dirt". I liked some local food like jars of local homemade jams, especially pecan jam (we don't have pecans in Poland) as well as jam called "Virginia's Hospitality", haha what a name for jam! :-) There are also Virginia's peanuts packed in old-fashionable metal cans. Well, I would buy some "Virginia's hospitality" but I experienced enough hospitality in Virginia, for free.

What to pay: I always look at prices of casual T-shirts to judge general price level in any US gift store:
$5 - cheap
$10 - reasonable or average
$15 - expensive
$20 and over - very expensive, over-priced.
T-shirts for adults in Natural Bridge cost over $20! The local food which attracted me cost a lot as well.

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Address: 6477 Lee Highway Natural Bridge, VA. 24578

Directions: In western Virginia, over 2 hours west of Richmond, and over 3 hours southwest of Washington, DC; off I-81: take exit 175 or 180 to US-11 (S. Lee Highway). Free parking lots are placed around the crossroad US-11 & VA-130.

Other Contact: store@naturalbridgeva.com

Phone: +1 (540) 291-2121

Theme: Gifts

Luray Caverns gift shops: Virginia wine and gifts

As I remember well there are three shops at Luray Caverns:
- the Country Store which offers some handicraft souvenirs,
- two gift shops in the Entrance Building and in the Car and Carriage Caravan offering gifts , books, CDs etc. related to the place as well as Virginia wine.

In the Entrance Building I've paid attention to beautiful and large stone fireplace.

What to buy: I didn't buy anything but I thought over buying some interesting CDs or books on the cars displayed in the Car and Carriage Caravan Museum. It's likely I would buy some Virginia wine but I already did it in Jefferson's Winery in Charlottesville.

What to pay: To my surprise (especially after a visit to Smithsonian Museums in Washington, DC) the prices are reasonable, for example $7 - $11 for a bottle of local Virginia wine.

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Address: 970 US Highway 211 West, Luray, Virginia 22835

Directions: In the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, 15 min. east of I-81: take exit 264 to US-211 East and follow the direction signs.

Other Contact: info@luraycaverns.com

Phone: +1 (540) 743-6551

Theme: Local Craft

Tarpley's Store: Williamsburg - Not exclusively for children

Tarpley's Store is designated for the most important folks in the world - for children. But I found it interesting as well. It offers toys, games, candies, clothing and hats of colonial era and jewelry for children of all ages. Add some ceramics and fans for both old and young ladies. Some goods are imported from England.

HISTORY
Original buiding was put up at this place prior to 1755 and burned in 1860. From 1759 to 1763 it was owned and occupied by James Tarpley as a store. The building was reconstructed in 1930s.

What to buy: Colonial tricornered hats for boys, fans or jewelry for girls and chocolate bar, candies, dried fruits for everyone.

What to pay: Rather expensive, although... look:
Chocolate bar (plain or almond, standart size) - $2.00
Coffee (1/2 lb bag) - $8.00
Candied almonds, pistachios, apple slices, chocolate almonds - $1.00 per 2 oz
Are they all much cheaper in say Wal-Mart food center?

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Address: Duke of Gloucester Street, Williamsburg, VA 23187

Directions: On the south side of the main avenue (Duke of Gloucester Street) at the juncture with Botetourt Street, approx. 0.5 mi east of the Bruton Church and 0.3 mi west of the Capitol.

Phone: +1 (757) 229-1000

Theme: Toys and Games

Website: http://www.colonialwilliamsburg.com/visit/shopping/inAndAround

Post Office: Williamsburg - Atmosphere of old times office

Relatively small building in beautiful downtown Colonial Williamsburg housed Post Office and Printing Office which sold paper products in 18th century. Keep in mind that that eighteenth-century paper was made from rags. Paper from wood pulp didn’t come into common use until the 1840s.

Now, there is a gift store on the ground floor and the Printing Office below. The store's interior is full of items and papers from 18th century office.

What to buy: They sell stamps, letters and postcards hand-canceled with reproduction 18th century Williamsburg postmark, stationery, maps, reproductions prints, leather-bound books, quill pens, ink, inkwells and sealing wax. So, if you want to add a good, old-fashioned atmosphere to your current office...

I found most interesting some reproduction printings from 18th century Williamsburg press and a book (reprint from 1736) "Every Man his own Doctor" on curing diseases.

What to pay: Rather expensive store but for small things you pay less, for example: $2.00 for white quill pen, $2.50 for 5 cedar pencils, $1.25 for small reprint on... battledore.

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Address: Duke of Gloucester Street, Williamsburg, VA 23187

Directions: On north side of the main avenue (Duke of Gloucester Street, between Colonial and Botetourt Street), approx. 0.25 mi east of the Bruton Church and 0.45 mi west of the Capitol.

Theme: Gifts

Market Square Stands: Williamsburg - Kingdom of men's hats

There are wooden tables covered by larger wooden roof put on a lawn, south of the main avenue (Duke of Gloucester Street) of Colonial Williamsburg. They form open-air market area. I didn't find there anything interesrting but thenths, hundreds of old men's hats of which one I tried. Well, there are some toys, baskets and pottery sold there as well.

What to buy: Hats if you like. They varied in shape, size and design but the most typical were either early colonial, 17th century broad brimmed hats or younger, 18th century tricornered hats - made of wool (not beaver felt like the originals).

What to pay: In October 2004 without sales tax (add 4.5%):
Mae's laced hat with button - $26.00
Men's braided hat - $35.90.

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Address: Duke of Gloucester Street, Williamsburg, VA 23187

Directions: On southern side of the main avenue (Duke of Gloucester Street), east of the Bruton Church and John Greenhow Store;
0.3 mi south of the Governor's Palace.

Theme: Gifts

Prentis Store: Williamsburg - One-of-a-kind handmade items

This store offers expensive one-of-a-kind handmade items created by skilled staff of the Colonial Williamsburg.

GENERAL INFORMATION ON SHOPPING IN WILLIAMSBURG
Cons
There are numerous (over 50), mostly small stores for visitors of colonial Williamsburg. They are all tourist stores with high or very high prices. Do not expect to find there any very original or authentic or old stuff. I didn't shop in Williamsburg (well, almost).

Pros
But, anyway, I had a lot of fun doing window shopping. Why? OK, top 5 reasons:
- architecture (both exteriors and interiors) the stores look like they had to look in 18th century,
- stuff to buy - I got to know what natives could buy in 18th century, what they ate, wore and liked,
- tradesmen and tradeswomen wore traditional costumes of the era and often treated visitors like... governors :-),
- I admired the art of packing stuff, those all, numerous wrappings, packagings, boxes, containers etc.
- I loved to look at happy faces of numerous visitors buying so many strange and unuseful things for so high prices :-).

WHERE TO SHOP?
Almost all stores are located along the main avenue (Duke of Gloucester Street) and especially at its western end, at and north of the Merchants Square. Well, there are stores at the Visitors Center as well.

WHEN TO SHOP?
There are no fixed hours. Most stores are open Mon - Sat 9.00 am (or 9.30 or 10.00) to 6.00 pm (or 9.00 pm) and Sunday 10.00 am (or 11.00) to 6.00 pm (or 9.00 pm).

WHAT TO BUY?
Personally I was interested most in some colonial food (candies, chocolates, coffee, tea, beer etc.), books on colonial life and culture and music (CDs, DVDs). Urszula found some interesting ceramics and clothes (woman's hats).

What to buy: If you like: leather goods, iron hardware, reproduction pottery. Urszula found some very pretty warm blankets but they were expensive.

What to pay: Williamsburg's prices. Generally expensive or... very expensive!

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Address: Duke of Gloucester Street, Williamsburg, VA 23187

Directions: On northern side of the main avenue (Duke of Gloucester Street), approx. 0.25 mi east of the Bruton Church and 0.45 mi west of the Capitol.

Theme: Local Craft

M. Dubois Grocer: Williamsburg - Colonial food

This reconstructed small store stands on the site where Monsieur Dubois operated a grocer's shop in 1779. It was my favourite shop in Colonial Williamsburg.

The store is full of such traditional southern favorites and delicacies as Virginia smoked hams, preserves, peanuts, port wine and many others. I found there a lot of secret food of past times, not so easy to find anywhere else.

They sell:
- spieces,
- candies,
- peanuts,
- modern foods (beef sausage 5 oz. = 142 g for $3.00!),
- specialty foods (chocolate cream sauce :-),
- beverages (apple cider, ginger ale, root beer),
- wine,
- teas,
- coffee,
- relishes,
- preserves,
- soups,
- meals (plantation porrige for $3.25 - for lower classes :-),
- meats (ham :-),
- cookbooks,
- woodenware,
- ceramics and glassware,
- cookie cutters.

What to buy: Being at the beginning of quite expensive trip I buoght only two small bottles:
1. Sparkling Scuppernong Cider ($1.76)
2. Fentimans Ginger Beer ($2.00).
Both were drinkable but nothing special.
Add 4.5% Virginia sales tax to all above mentioned prices.

I thught about:
- cookbooks (Williamsburg Cookbook for $16.95 or Recipes from the Raleigh Tavern Bakery for $4.07)
- meats including Virginia smoked hams for $4.95 - $5.95 per lb or $8.00 for a small pack of ham slices
- peanut soup ($4.50) as I never tried it.

Just in case... I see the store online here now.

What to pay: Generally high or very high prices that's why a lot of food was packed and sold in very small quantities.

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More details in my Williamsburg travelogue Colonial grocery.

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Address: P. O. Box 1776, Williamsburg, Virginia 23187

Directions: On north side of the main avenue (Duke of Gloucester Street, between Colonial and Botetourt Street), just east of Post Office, approx. 0.25 mi east of the Bruton Church and 0.45 mi west of the Capitol.

Phone: +1 (757) 229-1000, ext. 2526

Theme: Food and Drink

Website: http://www.history.org/visit/shopping/inAndAround/dubois.cfm

Bookstore at the Women's Memorial: Arlington - Books exclusively on women

The bookstore at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial in Arlington Cemetery sells books and magazines dedicated solely to publications by and about military women. It advertised as the world's only such bookstore. I don't know whether it's true. Business everywhere loves two expressions: the first and the only. Never mind, I found there a few very interesting books. Being at the beginning of quite expensive trip around the South I didn't buy any.

What to buy: I liked most: "Our Mothers' War : American Women at Home and at the Front During World War II" by Emily Yellin.
Add interesting views, which I can't agree though, on sexism in military in the book "Ground Zero: The Gender Wars in the Military" by Linda Bird Francke.

What to pay: Generally beautiful books are expensive. But those I liked were over $10.00, not that bad.

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Address: Women's Memorial, Arlington, Virginia 22211

Directions: Take metro to Arlington Cemetery station (+ a walk or metrobus) or by car (details in my Arlington Transportation Tips).

Other Contact: +1 (703) 607-8585

Phone: +1 (703) 607-8000

Theme: Books

Website: http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/womens.htm

Gift shop: Charles City - Shop at Berkeley Plantation

This charming, pink building, in my picture, houses the ticket office and gift shop of the Berkeley Plantation in Charles City east of Richmond.

The store sells postcards, various "old" pictures and photographs, historical books on early colonial times, the plantation and its owners, CDs surely with the Army bugle call "Taps" which was for the first time played just at this plantation in 1862 and other Berkeley Plantation Memorabilia as well.

What to buy: My recommendation, well, for history fans exclusively, is a great book about Berkeley Plantation: "The Grand Plantation" by Clifford Dowdey. Well, being at the beginning of quite expensive trip I didn't buy the book.

What to pay: The prices are either average (postcards) or higher (books, CDs) but generally reasonable.

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Address: 12602 Harrison Landing Rd., Charles City, VA 23030

Directions: Read my Transportation tips

Other Contact: +1 (888) 466-6018

Phone: +1 (804) 829-6018

Theme: Gifts

Website: http://www.berkeleyplantation.com