Hello,

 

Does anyone know of any published research on the building of visitor centers for museums?  I’m searching for museums that have built new or expanded visitor centers or interpretive spaces in the past ten years.  I am hoping to talk with some about the experience with the project and more specifically, the impact of the new or expanded visitor center on memberships, visitation, and operating budget.  I am seeking some benchmark financial data in order to project realistic numbers on how much visitation,  memberships, etc. increased, if at all,  in order to make some financial projections for a proposed project.

 

I am familiar with the 2006 museum financial data survey published by AAM.  I would like to find more specific numbers. 

Is there any published data on this topic or another resource I’m not thinking of?

 

Please respond to me off list ([log in to unmask]) if you know of some resources and/or museums that I could possibly contact for more specific information.

 

Thank you so much.

 

Sheri Leahan

Curator, Margaret Chase Smith Library

Associate, Demont & Associates, Inc.