Kathryn Haley:

I would recommend looking in the AAM's Official Museum Directory, which would tell you both when a museum opened and what its annual attendance is.  Select a few examples and look them up in several past editions to see how their attendance fluctuates.  Although statistical padding is more
common than not, it should give you a good idea of increases or declines.   If you don't have past issues, call the AAM - they may even have some research on the subject.

At the Weisman Art Museum, which moved into its new Frank Gehry building and changed its name from University of Minnesota Art Museum in 1996, we have noticed a consistent increase in our attendance that seems to be continuing.  We have a very active marketing department, of course, but
that's essential to any museum.  As the recent thread on fundraising discussed, proactive marketing attracts funding as well as visitors.

Good Luck,

Jennifer Carlquist
Membership and Development
Weisman Art Museum
University of Minnesota


Kathryn Haley Goldman wrote:

>        Hello folks-
>
>        My visitation theory is that new museum suffer a natural
>        decline in visitation several years after opening. ÿ ÿThat no
>        museum maintains opening attendance perpetually, and that
>        without major marketing and/or roofline changes attendance
>        levels will drop from opening attendance and reach a new
>        plateau.
>
>

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