"A museum is not a playground"
Unless you are the Strong National Museum of Play here in Rochester!
And actually - how to behave in a museum is really varied these days. It's not surprising that people need specific guidelines - the rules can be so different from one site to the next
Kim - all of our tours are escorted by staff, so don't know if I can give you any specific advice. We announce general rules for ALL visitors at the beginning of each tour ie Please stay on the runners, only handle objects that the guide hands to you, tour group must stay together.
We have a few events in the year that take place on our grounds, where families are not escorted. When a family group arrives, we offer them the guidelines. If there are young children in the 4 to 7 year old range, we sometimes find it effective to ask the child to "monitor" the adults. For example - we have wildlife on the property, and we don't want them approached, we'll say "remember that this is the country side here, and you might see some wild animals, like raccoons or deer. Could you please make sure that your grownups don't go near them? We don't want anybody to upset the animals."
The humorous request makes it memorable in the child's mind.
What kinds of behaviors are giving you trouble?
Cindy Boyer
Director of Museums and Education
The Landmark Society of Western New York
133 S. Fitzhugh St.
Rochester NY 14608
(585) 546-7029 ext. 12
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The Landmark Society: Revitalizing Yesterday, Protecting Today, and Planning for Tomorrow
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-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Kimberly Kenney, Curator
Sent: Wednesday, December 02, 2009 1:55 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [MUSEUM-L] "a museum is not a playground" language
Would anyone like to share the language you use in tour maps or on signs to help educate your visitors about how to behave in a museum?
Also, how do staff and volunteers at your museum address inappropriate behavior? Do you have a phrase that seems to work well? What are the consequences of bad behavior?
Thanks!
Kim
Kimberly A. Kenney, Curator
Wm. McKinley Presidential Library & Museum
800 McKinley Monument Dr. NW
Canton OH 44708 * 330-455-7043 * Visit our NEW WEBSITE at http://www.mckinleymuseum.org
"Let us ever remember that our interests are in concord, not conflict; and that our real eminence rests in the victories of peace, not those of war." -- 25th United States President William McKinley
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