Snagging your own piece of the Rocket City is now easier than ever, with the recent launch of the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau’s online store. The online shopping site – “Rocket City Shop” – offers a selection of branded Huntsville and Madison face masks, with plans to expand to other merchandise.

“We’re aiming for the online store to be a smaller extension of our physical gift shop at the Downtown Visitor Center,” said Judy Ryals, president/CEO of the CVB. “Our products in the gift shop are quite popular, especially with out of town guests who are seeking unique Huntsville souvenirs. As the travel and tourism agency for Huntsville/Madison County, our ultimate goal is to make people aware of Huntsville as a destination, and city-branded merchandise is a part of that.

“If someone wants to represent the Rocket City, we want to make it as easy as possible for them to do so, regardless of where they’re based.”

The decision to launch the online store was spurred by the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The pandemic has made us get more creative with how we get our brand out to the public, especially with the temporary Visitor Center closure earlier in the year and more people wanting to buy online instead of in person,” said Kristen Pepper, Director of Marketing for the CVB. “We want people to stay safe and socially distant, while also getting the Huntsville name out there, so the online shop is the perfect solution.”

The shop’s top-selling item by far has been the Keep Your Space Huntsville face mask. Within the first week of the online launch, almost 1,000 of the specially-designed masks had been ordered, originating from 23 states across the U.S.

For now, the Rocket City Shop is limited to face masks, but the CVB plans to roll out additional products like Huntsville-branded slap koozies, magnets, and other gifts in the coming weeks.

A wide selection of products can also be found in the Downtown Huntsville Visitor Center’s physical gift shop, including short and long-sleeved t-shirts, books, mugs, and more. The majority of the gift shop’s products are produced in Madison County or designed by a Huntsville/Madison County-based craftsman.

Visit the Rocket City Shop online at www.rocketcityshop.org, or stop by the Downtown Huntsville Visitor Center gift shop at 500 Church Street; the hours are Monday – Saturday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 3 p.m.