Toy Shop Pop-Up Opens Inside North Shore Children's Museum Of Peabody

PEABODY, MA — A new gift shop inside the North Shore Children's Museum is part of a wider plan to use the museum as a way to spur growth and revitalize downtown Peabody.

The 2 Donkey's Toy Shop, owned by Angela Arvanites of Hamilton, opened in early March as a way to provide revenue for the museum, expose Arvanites and her business to a new market, and possibly provide a channel toward the shop moving into a storefront location near the museum on Main Street.

"Partnerships have been a cornerstone of the museum's early success," North Shore Children's Museum Executive Director Ali Haydock said. "We have involved dozens of community members, artists, for-profit sponsorships, volunteers from the community, local performers, municipal employees — the list goes on.

"It just makes sense to leverage the amazing resources in our community to make the museum as special as possible. Developing the gift shop with 2 Donkey's has been no different."

The shop offers educational games, toys and activities, with many based on the themes of the museum's 14 exhibit rooms. North Shore Children's Museum merchandise is also available in the shop.

Arvanites also operates a monogram shop and a general store in Hamilton.

"The North Shore Children's Museum is a natural partner for 2 Donkey's and it is exciting to have a presence in Peabody," Arvanites said.

Peabody Mayor Ted Bettencourt pitched the museum last year as a way to help revitalize the Main Street area with a unique attraction to the North Shore.

"It is exciting to see a toy store open inside the museum," he said. "We are making strides to

create a family-friendly atmosphere on Main Street and this partnership definitely bolsters that."

Haydock said the museum, which opened in October, has sold 12,240 tickets over the past five months with visitors coming from 130 different towns.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)