School visits are a significant portion of our audience and are vital to
building future visitation.  To date, our school visitation is up 20% over
last year, and inquiries about school overnight programs and outreach programs
are also up dramatically.  We  are projecting 86,000 students.  That's not
only a source of income, it provides a base for repeat visits, as was clearly
evident this past weekend.  Anecdotal evidence suggested that kids who'd been
here with their schools were coming back with their parents who had never
visited before--and who were quite impressed. Budget crunches have cut into
field trips but we are finding that when bussing isn't available, classes will
carpool or they'll contract for an outreach program.
Older adults are an audience with money, time and interest but it's not as easy
to reach them.  Transportation is as much an issue for them as it is for
schools.  When working with retirement communities or senior centers, there's
limited access to a bus or van, and for those who drive, parking, proximity to
the facility, distance and accessibility are all factors.  One of the best ways
to attract older adults is to connect with existing programs, such as
Elderhostel or a local college or university's lifelong learning program.  The
marketing mechanisms are already in place as well as programming resources.
I don't see why one should be at the expense of the other, although if you're
looking at numbers alone, students will win out.
Anne Arenstein
Director, Public Programs
Museum of Natural History and Science
Museum Center of Cincinnati