Everyone is invited to stop by the Natchez Visitor Center at 1 p.m. Sunday for the grand opening celebration of The Natchez Shop. Light refreshments will be served, along with a variety of door prizes.

In the spirit of the partnerships on which the visitor center is built, The Natchez Shop combines the Eastern National bookstore and City of Natchez logo shop into one museum-quality store to improve the overall experience for Natchez visitors.

With funds from Eastern National and the National Park Service, The Natchez Shop has been newly designed in 2016 as part of the Natchez Tricentennial and National Park Service Centennial. T-shirts commemorating the Natchez Tricentennial are available along with a new line of Natchez National Historical Park T-shirts and a variety of National Park Service Centennial commemorative items.

The store carries many items specific to the interpretive themes of the Natchez National Historical Park sites. You will find publications relating to Melrose, the William Johnson House and Fort Rosalie, along with Victorian glass, mirrors, dresser sets, luxurious bathing products and Victorian dollhouse furniture.

The Natchez Visitor Center also serves as the southern terminus of the Natchez Trace Parkway, and the shop carries Parkway T-shirts, hats, ornaments, pins, patches and other items.

Many Natchez- and Mississippi-made food items and other locally made products are also available. Local products include Rolling River Roasters coffees in a variety of flavors, D’Evereux hot sauces and jams and Ole Trace honey.

Look statewide, and you will find cheese straws from the Mississippi Cheese Straw Factory, nuts and candies from the Indianola Pecan House and jellies from Hillside Vineyard and Berry Farm in Kosciusko.

The shop continues to be operated by Eastern National in cooperation with the National Park Service. Eastern National is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit cooperating association, supporting the interpretive, educational and scientific programs and services of the National Park Service and other public trusts.

Today, Eastern National partners with 175 of the nation’s most significant cultural, historical and recreational destinations in 34 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands. Eastern National operates museum stores and donates the proceeds from every sale to the partners it serves.

Come join in the fun, browse in the new shop, and enjoy some refreshments. The celebration will begin at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Natchez Visitor Center.

 

Karen O’Neal is the manager for The Natchez Shop.