We will open our 3000 foot discovery room next November--
consequently, we have to do some heavy thinking about just how we are
going to manage certain new challenges.  I would greatly appreciate
your comments (to me directly, please), especially from (but not
limited to) folks at university museums which do not normally charge
for regular admission, but will be charging for k-5 in the discovery
room.  I know we'll have more questions, but here's a start:

1) Any suggestions on a fee schedule? Adults/teachers=free?  We'd
like to encourage teachers to bring adult helpers and thought that at
least those adults could be free, and that other adults' admission
might be reduced in cost so that they would be encouraged to bring
their children on the weekends.  Any experience on how this
works/doesn't work?

2) If the room will be designed for k-5. We find the age group of jr
highs most likely to be disruptive in the main museum, but yet want
selected motivated jr. highs to be explainers on weekends, how can we
encourage responsible visits by this age group, cut
down on "messing around" and still be very polite and courteous,
etc.?

3) In addition to fire codes, etc., is there some rule of thumb about
how many people to let in at one time/square foot? If we limited some
time for a class or two with a definite program, what would the
teachers think if we also accepted people "off the street" at the
same time?  i.e., would they expect their time to be their own?

4) Any advice about how to handle tickets (in case the room number
was exceeded on weekends and they were given a ticket for later in
the day?--how do your visitors feel about this?  do they just go away
and not come back?

Thank you in advance for your help with these questions!

Nancy Glover McCartney
University Museum
University of Arkansas
FAyetteville, AR 72701