We had stayed at the Roosevelt Hotel in the past, and visited the property many times, but it was on a March stay, that we first noticed the Emporium Gift Shop, on the Baronne St side of the lobby of the hotel. There are two entrances - from Baronne St, and from the lobby. At first glance, the Emporium looked rather like any major hotel’s gift/logo shop, but on closer examination, it was more - much, much more. Yes, it had a couple of racks of clothing, including spa clothing (in case one had forgotten to pack something necessary), and then it had various logo items, from the world-famous Roosevelt Hotel, and its historic lounges and restaurants, but there was even more waiting, to be discovered. Many items were very New Orleans-specific, and created by local artists/artisans - jewelry, ceramics, glass and metal items, with strong historical ties to New Orleans, even beyond the history of the venerable Roosevelt Hotel. Interesting stuff was everywhere, in the rather packed store. As we both grew up in/near New Orleans, my wife and I just went from rack to rack, shelf to shelf. In an hour, we had about three boxes of items, including glassware, kitchen items, and just fun pieces of art, all relative to New Orleans, South Louisiana and then to the historic Roosevelt Hotel. Since we were flying, and not back home for three business stops, we arranged to have the items shipped to Phoenix. In the process, my wife bought several pieces of locally crafted jewelry, two scarves and a hat! These, she basically wore out of the shop. The manager took great interest in our purchases, and gave us background on the artists involved with each piece. In a few of the historic re-creations, he explained the significance of each piece, say the Sazerac glasses, from the world-famous Sazerac Bar, just around the corner in the lobby. In many ways, this is a retail store, but it is also a bit of an art gallery, and also a history museum, but with the pieces for sale. Just looking at the display pieces, one gets a bit of an historic look at the Roosevelt Hotel, and also a slice of local culture. The staff was excellent, both welcoming and highly informative. They all knew the details of each piece we bought, as most were created by locals - I have only encountered similar in a few museum gift shops, where the items were also created by local artists. Our three boxes arrived in Phoenix, before we did, and everything had been expertly packed, so not one piece (some rather fragile) had sustained damage. Job well-done. Oh, and there is a little “convenience store,” hidden in the back, for soda, coffee, etc., plus a book area, highlighting the history of New Orleans, and especially the iconic Roosevelt Hotel - a must-stop, IMHO. Need a Mardi Gras mask? How about a stuffed toy for your child? Forgot your sunglasses? Maybe pick up one of those wonderful Roosevelt robes to take home? On this visit, I learned of this new treasure trove of New Orleans memorabilia, and will definitely be returning - we can always use another set of Sazerac glasses, maybe a fleur-de-lis trivet, an oyster serving tray, or maybe a piece of jewelry for my wife, depicting the cemeteries of New Orleans.