Thomas E. (Pete) Jordon wrote:
In reply to Jodi Gronborg, I wish to add the following:
But how many people do you know visit a musuem just to go to the gift shop
(unless they've been there before and are searching for gifts they might
have seen on that other visit)?
Pete,
Actually I was very surprised myself to see that many people do in fact visit the gift shop without ever entering museum grounds or buildings (atleast at the two Maryland museums I've worked around).  The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, for example, is located in a tourist town called St. Michaels.  Almost all tourists end up down the road by the museum, either to check out the museum itself or the Crab Claw Restaurant next door, and inevitable browse through the museum's gift shop (which is just awesome) regardless of whether they enter the museum itself.  Also, I was doing museum-exit interviews at the Calvert Marine Museum and was surprised at how many of the people who came out of the exhibit building had visited the gift shop only and never ventured past the admission booth.  

- just a personal observation, Jodi