Hello I posted for my mother a week or two ago a inquiry regarding a management structure for a historic house, owned by local body government and run by asociety, this house has not yet been opened. I did not get one response, and since then in my own musuem have been discussing a similar issue with another museum that has been operating for over 30 years, the Curator has been told by their Council, to come up with a more feasible and economic management plan, or shut down at the end of the year. I would really like to pass on to this Curator any contacts to people who may have successfully managed to structure a historic house museum. The main problem is that historic houses in small areas, don't have enough visitors to make enough of a economic return, ie their earnings come no where near their costs. Staff being the main expense, and maintienance draining the supply, create a huge problem. We are told we can't stay open and pay wages, but need to continue the same amount of visitor numbers or face another cut in a couple of years. It would be great to get some ideas, or contacts, even if just to explain to the management people that want us to justify our role more, that there are sites around the world who either don't compromise at all, or have come up with more feasible plans. I hope someone will be able to give me some ideas. By the eway, neitehr house could be moved as the location they are in make up a huge part of their historic context in the community. Nina Siers [log in to unmask]