With only three shopping days until Christmas, Rachael Greve, Pioneer Museum of Alabama director, has some great gift ideas for those last minute shoppers.

“There is no better gift to give than the gift of heritage and, at the Pioneer Museum of Alabama, we offer that gift through memberships,” Greve said. “An annual membership to the Pioneer Museum of Alabama is a unique gift of family and heritage and one that keeps on giving throughout the year.”

The museum has three levels of annual membership. An individual membership is $20 and a family membership is $35.

“We also have an extended family membership that includes the family and four others,” Greve said. “These memberships are great for grandparents and other extended family members to come along on visits to the museum or to bring others at special times or for special events. These extended family memberships are $50.”

Greve said the Pioneer Museum of Alabama is open year round so a museum membership does keep on giving.

“The museum’s Hearth and Homestead Giftstore has a large variety of one of a kind gifts for under the Christmas tree,” Greve said. “One item that is going fast is the Redneck Wine Glass. It’s a fun, cheeky item that anyone with Southern roots will appreciate.”

The Redneck Wine Glass is actually a “repurposed” Mason jar that can be used in different ways – for candies, nuts, potpourri, cider or other favorite holiday beverages.

“The Redneck Wine Glass is offered in the spirit of our pioneers,” Greve said. “They didn’t let anything go to waste. Like museum volunteer Agnes Johnson says, the pioneers used everything on the pig from the ‘oink’ to the tail. As Southerners we don’t mind poking fun at ourselves so, these Redneck Wine Glasses will make great gifts for Dirty Santas or white elephant parties.”

The museum giftstore also has a variety of dip mixes and bread dips. A special feature of the museum Hearth and Homestead Giftstore is a caramel and honey fruit dip.

“The dips are fantastic,” Greve said. “We have honey from our beekeeper Al Liepins, syrups and sauces. We also have books by local authors, prints by the late Jean Lake and Alice Thornton, featured artisans such as Shirley Blankenship, Suzanne Sikes and Brent Barley are a must for collectors. We have pottery, jewelry, cards – just a wide variety of items that you won’t find anywhere else.”

Of course, the museum is an interesting and fun place to visit during the Christmas holidays. The buildings are all decked out for Christmas and there’s no better place to experience an old-fashioned Christmas than a stroll around the museum grounds.

The museum will be open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. today and Friday and until noon on Saturday and Tuesday through Friday next week and until noon on New Year’s Eve.

The Pioneer Museum of Alabama is a non-profit organization.

For more information, call 334-566-3597