A savvy museum visitor walks into a museum...
What does she do?
A savvy museum visitor walks into a museum. What does she do? What does she look for? What does she make notes about?
We all have different ways of approaching our museum visits. Sometimes we’re looking for respite, an escape. Sometimes we’re looking forward to being with friends. Sometimes we want to be comforted by seeing something familiar. Sometimes we’re looking to be challenged by learning new things.
Because I want to gather as much information as possible, I have a checklist that I use to guide me through each visit. Also, I maintain a database about each of my museum visits so that I can refer back to my notes and impressions.
Museums come in all shapes, sizes, and types. I visit art museums, historic sites, science and natural history museums, children’s museums, history museums, and niche topic museums. No matter the size or the topic, the core of any museum is their collection. I look for artifacts that are well-cared for, at least not dusty. And, I pay attention to how it’s displayed and how it’s lighted. Also, I notice if the museum’s collection is true to its focus, for example, if it’s a museum about regional art, why are there children’s toys, a bronze by an artist from another country, and a case filled with seashells?
A museum’s collection is what brings people in the door. But a positive visitor experience is what brings people back. It spreads positive word of mouth. It encourages visitors to become members. And it motivates people to sign up for a class or a special event. My experience at Biltmore House grounded me in the importance of providing a solid visitor experience. Attending workshops and conferences by the Visitor Studies Association built on that.
Because the visitor experience and hospitality are high on my list to evaluate, I try not to buy my ticket ahead of time. I prefer to go through the process of interacting with the ticket selling operation. Is it quick? Is it easy? Is the person friendly or brusque? Once when I was at the Art Institute of Chicago, the friendly admissions person answered my initial questions, then said, “Here’s your admission sticker. No charge for you today.” High marks from me!
One thing that I make a note about, that most museum do not do, is orientation. Does the museum have an introductory video, do they have a timeline about the history of the museum? Do they have another way of providing visitors with an overview of different paths through the museum, of the highlights of the collection, of resources available for people with physical issues or who are neurodivergent? Very few museums do this. Examples of two that do include the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Massachusetts, with a well-done timeline, and the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum in Winter Park, Florida, with a helpful orientation video.
Wayfinding is one of my bugaboos when it comes to museums. How easy or difficult do they make it to maneuver throughout the museum - many do it poorly. In small museums, or museums where your visit is only through a guided tour, this isn’t an issue. But in larger museums, visitors should easily find their way from the parking lot into the museum, from one gallery to another, to the restrooms, and back to the exit. Wayfinding is a science and an art that uses signage, maps, visual cues, floor markings, and more to move visitors easily throughout the museum. If you’re always asking people questions about where things are, that museum is probably lacking in skillful wayfinding. The Detroit Institute of Arts does a good job with wayfinding, as does Shaker Village in Harrodsburg, Kentucky.
I always joke to myself that museums with limited seating options must be run by fit, nimble, 25-year-olds with no kids! Seating is for a parent trying to settle a young child. It’s for friends to sit and chat about a favorite painting. It’s for the student athlete that’s on crutches. And, yes, it’s for seniors to take a break. I look for the quantity of seating options, as well as the possibility - infrequent - for seating with backs and arms. Two museums that do an excellent job with seating options are the National Museum of Korea in Seoul and the Morris Museum of Art in Augusta, Georgia.
Museums tell stories, or they should. There are stories to be told about why the artifact was created. About the life of the artist. About how art is conserved and repaired. About how exhibits are created. And much more. Unfortunately, museums often get stuck on sharing facts and data. That’s somewhat helpful for visitors, but we want more. We want to be intrigued, charmed, motivated, entranced, and challenged. I get frustrated when museum labels sound like they were written by curators for other curators. One historic site that does a good job of storytelling is Greenfield Village outside Detroit, Michigan, and the Brandywine Art Museum in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, does too.
Because my second career was as a psychotherapist, and because I think museums provide many often-untapped wellness opportunities, this is on my checklist. Are there options for visitors to walk into quiet spaces, awe and wonder, curiosity, creativity, contemplation? Sometimes these are intentionally incorporated by the museum, but often they are what I call “unplanned wellness opportunities.” The Cloisters in New York and the Denver Art Museum both provide multiple wellness opportunities.
The other items on my museum checklist include identifying one or two of the most popular artifacts, discovering what I call a “hidden gem,” and making sure I check out any outdoor options whether it’s places to sit or gardens or sculpture. And, not to be forgotten, I always check out the gift shop and the cafe, if they have one.
What about you? Whether you visit museums frequently or occasionally, what do you pay attention to? What might irk you? What makes it an exceptional museum visit?
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