There was a time when cultural-site retail was viewed as the bastard child. Reminiscent of a Victorian novel, the museum dutifully housed its ward but made it clear that the illegitimate entity didn't truly belong. It was of inferior class altogether.
Money is a chief motivator.
According to Sparks, the past five to eight years have seen a drop in federal funding to the arts and its institutions. Retail has become a real source of museum revenue to offset that deficit and has grown to provide the experiential value visitors now expect. Now, part of The Field Museum's new store includes former exhibit space. The Field Museum of Natural History houses a collection of about 20 million cultural, archaeological, botanical, zoological and geological objects. The Classic Revival museum was actually re-named after the city's favorite son merchant, Marshall Field.