I am torn about whether to contribute or not to this thread. I am a mother of a two-year old. As a lifelong museum goer, I want my son to also learn the "habit" of museum going. I agree that there are real limits (only short visits, often timed for the morning before crowds arrive) and of course if he hits "eject" (as I have come to think of it), we leave immediately. We try not to be one of "those" people in the museums. But... as a patron I would offer some suggestions/challenges to museum professionals, IF they want to appeal to families (and of course I completely agree that not all museums need to do this to fulfill their core missions.) * Think about how you can help your space can be most friendly to families. I was at the Udvar Hazy this weekend and they did many wonderful things from the perspective of having a toddler. The ramps have clear plexiglass, so my little one can see everything, even though he's under 3' tall. He loved that! (As an aside, I have often wondered if museums that want to attract families would consider a "family night" where you offer stools so that kids can see things that are normally too high for them?). They offered a family changing room, which is very smart, because there are a lot of dads who take kids to museums, not just moms. * Provide guidance to parents. I think behavioral expectations are very appropriate to post. If you want strollers parked in a specific place to make the museum more comfortable for all patrons, say so clearly on your floor plan, in the signage, when you purchase tickets, etc. I have always wondered why museums seem shy to make recommendations about age ranges. Why not say "this exhibit is targeted for children ages 5+" or "we designed our museum for the following age range"? If you have tips for families, like times when lines are smaller, put those tips on your website. As a parent, I do a lot of research on the website and I'd find any details about what is appropriate and how to make the experience more pleasant for everyone (myself, my family and of course other patrons) very helpful. * Help parents engage their children. I liked the poster who said the Hirshorn gives cards for ways that parents could interact with objects. I've always appreciated a flyer that suggests what objects or rooms (just 3 or 4 is enough) might be most interesting to children of X age range. If a museum were aiming for school aged children, this could even be a kids "floor plan" (kids like to tell people where to go.) This information could also be online. Oona Schmid, Director of Publishing American Anthropological Association 2200 Wilson Blvd, Ste 600 Arlington VA 22201 Tel: 703-528-1902, ext 1174 [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).