Take-homes that engage and continue igniting curiosity long after guests’ visit to Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland offer ways to celebrate all things STEM while marking a fun-filled family excursion to one of USA Today’s 2024 Readers’ Choice 10Best Museums.
“The shop plays an integral role in the visitor journey,” says Amanda Taunt, vice president of operations, who oversees the 2,200-square-foot space that is prominently positioned at the museum’s entry. “It provides a really nice complement and it’s basically a way to take your visit home.”
The Science Store contracts with Event Network for curated purchasing that aligns with revolving exhibits, branded staples including apparel and a wide selection of NASA merchandise. The museum is one of 11 NASA Visitor Centers and the only NASA Glenn Visitor Center in the world.
“It’s a bright, fun, energizing space that you immediately spot — it’s all glassed in and visitors gravitate to the shop,” says Taunt.
Aligning merchandise
Creating connections from exhibit experiences to the retail environment is a priority, which calls for an ever-evolving inventory of souvenirs and gifts in an array of themes, price points and age groups, from early childhood to the young at heart.
Some souvenirs are out of this world at the gift shop with space-themed apparel, caps, and magnets.
Photos: David Paul
A recent top seller is an astronaut helmet. “It’s a helmet you put on and every time I walk past the display, there is always a kid there trying one on,” Taunt says.
Also, there is an engaging display of NASA logo items from apparel to water bottles, a space shuttle play set, solar system block set and freeze-dried foods such as ice cream and strawberries.
Essentially, the store is an extension of an engaging, hands-on time discovering ever-changing wonders within the museum. “We make sure we have products that support a mission to bring STEM to life,” says Amanda DeSena, a retail director with Event Network who manages the Great Lakes Science Center Store.
For example, “Dogs! A Science Tail” installation runs through March 30 and allows guests to explore the world through a dog’s perspective with interactive exhibits such as a “Jeopawdy” quiz game and a display that allows visitors to walk a dog through a virtual community.
DeSena and team coordinated merchandise accordingly in the spotlight display with views from the doorway, entry hall and beyond. Products include a “Dogopoly” game, hooded blankets, books, apparel, plush at various price points including $15 for a barking pooch, and ever-popular cool socks. “The socks feature dogs dressed like scientists,” describes DeSena, relating that products target every age. Get your Pomeranian or Pug stress ball here.
Collaborating with Event Network for special occasions allows The Science Store to create special presentations, kiosks and mini stores filled with specific merchandise. The shop leveraged this opportunity during the April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse when Cleveland was in the centerline. Great Lakes Science Center staged a three-day Total Eclipse Fest with a pop-up satellite science store outdoors.
“Having that outdoor store was important because the vast majority of visitors were outside during those days, especially on April 8, and we were able to offer key items like T-shirts marking the event, kids’ apparel, and sun, moon and Earth plushies,” Taunt says. Nearly 40,000 guests stopped in during those few days.
“We needed extra gift shop capacity to manage the traffic so everything about the festival could fire on all cylinders,” says Taunt.
The collaboration with NASA was such a success, DeSena says the store will plan a repeat outdoor retail space to support other events on the calendar through summer.
The Science Store has several plush displays that are both memorable and easy to access for kids and adults alike.
Because the destination is also the official NASA Glenn Visitor Center, NASA holds staff conferences on site for team members across the country. They can find a cool T-shirt, hoodie or goodie to take home.
“They have meetings within the building and get excited about souvenirs and gifts they might not have at their own space centers,” DeSena says of those who might travel from Texas, Washington, D.C., Florida, California and other NASA outposts.
A top seller for NASA visitors and guests from the public is a crewneck sweatshirt for adults or kids with a “super-soft” inside. The front detail sells. “It’s a cute astronaut dude, nicely embroidered into the sweatshirt, flashing the peace sign,” DeSena describes. “People love that.”
Always something new
The Science Store is dually arranged by theme and age group, with dedicated sections for early childhood, “blockier” toys that include LEGO sets — always a popular seller — STEM kits such as those focused on circuitry, robots and anatomy, apparel and an accessible price point area for students on field trips. A plush display begs for touch-and-feel exploration.
This dual presentation strategy allows guests to quickly find suitable categories and themes of interest. “We also pay close attention to product layout, so field trip-oriented products are at lower levels so kiddos can easily grab them,” says Taunt.
The Science Store leans on Event Network’s merchandising and vendor connections to optimize the gift shop experience. “We really value the experience of our partnership and having strong store management to make sure we have a unique, appealing range of products to offer guests,” Taunt says.
DeSena also has a middle-school aged son, David, who chimes in with what types of souvenirs he’d want to spend allowance on during a trip to the science center.
Preteens can be a tough demographic, she says. They’ve graduated from kiddie toys and plush but still want something fun to take home.
DeSena surveyed David, asking her son what he would get excited about at the store.
He pointed out logoed lanyards. A new “The Science Of” evolving display was designed to reach kids this age range. Currently, the display is The Science of Videogaming, and it’s not about screening out. Think: hands-on, educational and affordable virtual reality sets branded by Bill Nye the Science Guy for $60.
DeSena also mapped out a Legend of Zelda table that’s a real draw for preteen guests. Her son was especially excited about a Zelda book. Inspired by his enthusiasm, she created a table with the book as a centerpiece — “that idea has worked,” she says.
The freedom to shift displays and keep the floor fresh, pulling in the visual team and leveraging insight from peers at the science center along with store directors in other museum destinations is something she appreciates.
Branded clothing goes quickly, DeSena adds of a wide variety of namedrop gear and souvenirs. Taunt points to the latest design that is a play on Taylor Swift’s tour and reads, “I’m in My Science Era.” T-shirts also include themes like the periodic table of elements or NASA-related designs.
While July is generally the busiest month, Great Lakes Science Center’s members visit year-round. Keeping inventory fresh is key. All told, there are 350 unique SKUs in The Science Store.
“We want the shop to look new every time a returning visitor stops in or members shop here so even if they’ve been here before, there is always something new to look at,” says Taunt.
Overall, the variety of items in the store reflects the range of experiences visitors have while visiting the museum. Taunt says, “It’s really cool to see a kid go for an item that relates to something they saw because their curiosity was triggered and they gravitate toward it.”
