This is an interesting thread, and two experiences come quickly to mind.
During the Bicentennial (I'm dating myself, I know) there was an exhibit in
Boston (I don't remember what it was called or who sponsored it) that was
outstanding.  In a number of innovative ways (puppet shows, staged
television broadcasts, etc.), the exhibit presented a number of events in
Boston history leading up to the American Revolution: the Boston Massacre,
Boston Tea Party, Closing of Boston Harbor, and the battles of Lexington
and Concord.  At each station, the visitor recorded his or her reaction (on
a scale of 1 to 5, as I recall) to each event on a "scorecard".  There was
a bank of computer terminals at the end of the exhibit.  Visitors entered
their "scores" for the various events into the computer, and the
"mainframe" (which I remember being very large) printed out a biography of
an American, rebel or loyalist, whose answers might have matched theirs.  I
remember I was John Hancock and my wife was Benjamin Franklin.  We had a
lot of fun checking our answers against one another and with biographies
other people had left behind.  It was one of the first interactive exhibits
I remember seeing, and it remains with me today as a great example of how
visitors can learn through museum exhibits.
        The second experience was a tour of Lyndhurst, the Gould mansion on the
Hudson River.  My wife and I went on New Year's Day (I think she promised
to let me watch the Rose Bowl later if we went out during the day).  We
were the only visitors in the museum, and the guide was simply wonderful.
She was enthusiastic about the house, and since there were just the two of
us, she showed us her favorite things, even to the point of taking down
ropes so we could get a better look at what she wanted us to see.  It was a
marvelous experience; I don't remember whether or not I made it home for
the game.
        Both these experiences are among my museum favorites, and each always
reminds me how powerful and wonderful a museum experience can be.

Michael Cahall, Ph.D.
Department of History
Duquesne University
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