On Wed, 29 Jun 1994, Kris Morrissey wrote:
 
> Carolyn Brady asked:
> Does anyone out there have programs/exhibits in their museums which=
>  explain
> how their institutions function?=20
 
The Milwaukee Public Museum's Rain Forest exhibit includes sections
that recreate a zoologist's field station in Costa Rica and a curator's
office and a collection storage area as a way of demonstrating to
visitors the behind-the-scenes work that resulted in exhibit.
 
Additionally, until it closed last weekend, the Wizard Wing, our hands-on
area, featured a section on building a diorama that gave visitors a
chance to "experience" the range of expertise that is involved.
 
The Royal Ontario Museum has (had?) a wonderful exhibit featuring the work
of its curatorial departments, very strategically located on the first
floor, just past the admissions area.
 
The Brookfield (Ill.) Zoo recently opened a new rainforest exhibit that
incorporates a field biologist's station among the exhibits which contain
the animals.  Instead of standard labels, the designers used pages from
a biologist's field notes in the exhibits to provide information.  It's
a wonderful exhibit, it's like walking through a series of really rich
natural history dioramas only the animals are all alive.
 
We also do an annual Behind-the-Scenes event for our Friends group which
is very popular and allows us the chance to explain/demonstrate some of
the more interesting things we do and the Educational Programming section
regularly offers programs that explain what we do or teach about
museum-related skills, like taxidermy.
 
*  Judy Turner                *  [log in to unmask]  *
*  Milwaukee Public Museum    *  414/278-2730          *
*  800 W. Wells Street        *  fax 414/278-6100      *
*  Milwaukee, WI  53233       *                        *