> On Thu, 4 Sep 1997, Wade Lawrence wrote:
>
> > We would be very interested in opinions or studies which would help
> us
> > determine the maximum number of visitors we should allow in the
> house at
> > any one time and whether there is a maximum cumulative number.
>

Part of the answer lies in the occupancy section of your city's or
county's building code.  In California where we use the Uniform Building
Code, museums typically fall in the public assembly category, and for
exhibits, that's 1 person for every 15 square feet.  I recently compared
the probable occupancy rating for our historic house, and discovered
that our tours sometimes exceeded the maximum occupancy in some rooms.
These occupancy ratings are usually based on public safety, rather than
building conservation issues, but they are useful to keep in mind for
any historic house museum.

--
Max A. van Balgooy
mailto:[log in to unmask]

Chaffey Communities Cultural Center & Cooper Regional History Museum
  PO Box 772   Upland, CA 91785-0772
  Telephone (909) 982-8010
  Website:  http://www.culturalcenter.org

Homestead Museum
  15415 East Don Julian Road   Industry, CA  91745-1029
  Telephone (626) 968-8492  NEW AREA CODE!
  Fax  (626) 968-2048
  Website:  http://www.homesteadmuseum.org