This has been a most interesting thread.  And to respond to Adam Maroney's
question ("Who cares?"), the answer is "Any museum that wishes to appeal to
a multi-generational audience."

That being said, I would mention that recent findings reported by (I
believe) John Falk in Museum News show that demographics such as age, sex,
income, education, etc. are less accurate at predicting who will attend a
museum than something called "Interest Profile."  In other words, it doesn't
matter what generation a person "belongs" to; if they are interested in what
you have to offer, they are likely to come.  If they are not, they probably
won't.

Still, analyzing our visitors demographically may help us identify
underserved audiences who may simply not be aware that we offer something of
interest to them.  (Right, Linda?)

Eugene Dillenburg
Lead Developer, Philippine Coral Reef Exhibit
John G. Shedd Aquarium
1200 S. Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, Ill.  60605

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