Building Audiences

Forming a Cultural Alliance through the Annual Survey of Museum-Goers

By Megan Wood & Cindy Foley

Who visits our museums? What are their motivations, and what do they expect from the experience? Alternatively, who is not visiting, and why not? These are critical questions for the future of individual museums, and for the entire field. …
Inclusion at the Heart of Well-Being

By Norman Burns

Conner Prairie’s focus on inclusion has led to community partnerships and programs that positively impact the well-being of its community. This article originally appeared in the November/December 2019 issue of Museum magazine, a benefit …
Using the Annual Survey of Museum-Goers as a Catalyst for Change

By Trevor Jones

Who visits our museums? What are their motivations, and what do they expect from the experience? Alternatively, who is not visiting, and why not? These are critical questions for the future of individual museums, and for the entire field. …
Growing Audiences with the Annual Survey of Museum-Goers

By Rebecca Gilliam

Who visits our museums? What are their motivations, and what do they expect from the experience? Alternatively, who is not visiting, and why not? These are critical questions for the future of individual museums, and for the entire field. …
Searching for Truffles: History Nebraska is using curiosity to grow staff capacity and enrich the museum experience

By Jill Dolbergis

This article originally appeared in the September/October 2019 issue of Museum magazine, a benefit of AAM membership. History Nebraska’s museum recently reopened following extensive infrastructure renovations. Prior to the renovations, …
Unlocking the Neuroscience of Visitor Experience

By Tedi Asher, PhD

The act of understanding is fundamental to the museum experience. In visiting a museum, we come to understand the objects placed before us, along with the stories of their human pasts. So too is understanding a key to creating these …
A Museum ‘Dating’ App Helps Visitors Fall in Love with Art

By Julia Forbes and Ivey Rucket

As the High Museum of Art prepared to completely reinstall its collection in the fall of 2018, we began talking about how we could use mobile technologies in new and innovative ways to engage the public with our newly installed galleries. …
Attracting Visitors with User-Generated Content

By Amrita Gurney

If I ever find myself with a few hours to spare, there’s no place I’d rather be than a museum. Visiting a new exhibit fills me with exhilaration, perspective, and knowledge. But in North America today, there are a large number of people …
The Fixer Upper Effect: Waco museums enjoy the ride (and try to learn the deeper meaning)

By Charlie Walter

It’s Monday, November 5, at 1:01 pm. I’m headed to a meeting in downtown Waco, Texas. As I drive by The Silos, a retail space developed by Fixer Upper stars Chip and Joanna Gaines, I am amazed to see the crowds standing in line to get in. …
Why the Tenement Museum Launched a Podcast

By Kevin Jennings

Earlier this year, I gave the keynote speech at the annual conference of the Council of American Jewish Museums. The theme of the conference (as well as the prompt I received for my remarks) was “The Creativity Challenge.” In my speech, I …