From Bored to Curious: A New Way to Do Museums
Fresh approaches for the museum-hesitant
How to visit a museum even if you don't like them or don't feel very comfortable visiting them.
You might be someone who thinks of museums as boring, overly scholarly, stale, or out-of-touch. Or, maybe the last time you visited a museum was on an elementary school field trip and you’re just not sure what it would be like as an adult.
However, your significant other might like museums. Or you might have decided to give museums a new try. Or you might be considering taking your child or grandchild so as to broaden their world. Here are some suggestions for how you might visit a museum even if you’re hesitant about visiting one.
Don't follow the crowd
Most museums have their "greatest hit." It might be a dinosaur, or a painting by a famous artist, or a chair sat in by a well-known person, or a science activity that is well-loved. It's fine if none of those appeal to you. Find your own way! If most of the visitors are going to the right, go to the left. If the first gallery is packed, skip it and move towards the back of the museum. As long as it's not a museum with a required path or guided tour, make your own path.
Ask for ideas
Most museums have maps and printed gallery guides but you don't have to use those. Ask the greeter or ticket seller what their favorite object is in the museum. Or check with one of the security staff, or anyone in a uniform or with a badge, what you should see and do. Front-line employees often have a different perspective than the person in the marketing department who wrote the gallery guides.
Ignore the labels
Lots of museum labels pack in the information but sometimes they aren’t very interesting. Don't feel compelled to read any labels. Instead, look at the art or artifacts or polished stones or animals and ask yourself which one would you draw if you were in an art class? Which one relates to your interests? Which one would you want to tell a friend about? While one reminds you of your grandma?
Consider your passion or hobby
Find connections between your passion and the museum. If you do woodworking, look for frames on paintings or historic furniture that might give you ideas for your next project. If you're a quilter or textile craft person, find historic textiles to admire. Or, examine portrait paintings for lace, cut velvet, or satin. If you're a gardener, look for historic gardening tools. If you hike, look for landscape paintings and imagine where you would wander if you could walk into that painting.
Lean into the wellness benefits of museums
Museums are not just for looking and admiring, they also provide proven wellness benefits. A museum visit can aid in stress relief as you wander through quiet galleries and engage with intriguing artifacts, providing an escape from stress and anxiety. Museum visits also spark creativity and curiosity, and can provide a sense of connection.
Ignore the artifacts and find relaxation
Museums can be an excellent source of respite. Find a place to sit in a gallery or on a bench in the kitchen garden or on a seat among the sculptures, and just sit. People watch. Listen in on conversations. Doodle on a notepad. Find one object that catches your eye and practice slow-looking, examining that object in detail and see what you notice after a few minutes that you didn't notice at first. Museums and wellbeing are a good fit!
Museums may have more to offer than you realize
If you give museums a chance, they may have more to offer than you think. Visit under your terms and look for what appeals to you. You might be pleasantly surprised!
What could museums do to make themselves more welcoming to you? Have you ever thought of sharing your thoughts with a museum?
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