In the near future, the Museum of Victoria in Melbourne (Australia) will
temporarily close its doors to visitors until reopens in a magnificent
new complex, the Melbourne Museum, on Sunday, 5 December 1999 (make your
bookings now!).

This will mark the end of 97 years at the downtown site by the Museum
with the entire building progressively enveloped by our co-tenant, the
State Library of Victoria.

A working part is seeking ideas for involving our various publics in
what we intend to be a celebratory period to mark a transition to the
new site even though we will be accessible predominantly through
"cyberspace" connections for just short of three years until the doors
open in '99.

We are planning a four to six week period to offer the public a last
view of the city museum.  Our collections are natural science and human
studies based and our visitors are roughly 25% through the schools, 15%
from tourists and the remainder adults and couples on weekdays and
families with children (predominantly primary age) on weekends and
school holidays.

The purpose of this message is to seek information of what other museums
have done to commemorate the closing of a public icon.  Among the ideas
we are considering are:

*  Memory books and audio tapes for the recording of visitor
recollections which will be made accessible to the visitors to the new
museum.

*  Highlight tours of collections and the packing up of treasures.

*  Curator talks featuring "favourite icons."

*  A souvenir booklet and "last visitor" certificate.

*  A special exhibition on the approaching Hale/Bopp comet by the
Museum's Planetarium.

I would be grateful to learn of any particular events you initiated (or
know of) that received good reviews from your audiences in similar
circumstances. Suggestions also gratefully garnered.

Thank you.