The Museum Experience

by Falk, John H.; Dierking, Lynn D.

• ISBN13: 9780929590066
• ISBN10: 0929590066
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1992-06-01
• Publisher: Whalesback Books

Summary

The Museum Experience is the first book to take the "visitor's eye view" of the museum visit. It integrates the authors' original research with that from a wide variety of disciplines as well as museum and visitor studies ranging from science centers and zoos to art and natural history museums. Written in clear, non-technical style, The Museum Experience gives museum professionals a thorough introduction to what is known about why people go to museums, what they do there, and what they learn. This book is an essential reference for all museum professionals concerned with communicating with the public. It has been used widely for college coursed in the United States, Canada and the UK, and has been translated into Japanese and Chinese.

Table of Contents

Foreword	ix
Preface	xiii
Introduction: The Interactive Experience Model	1	(10)
I. Before the Visit
The Museum as a Leisure-Time Experience	11	(14)
The Personal Context: Visitor Agendas	25	(16)
II. During the Visit
The Social Context: Groups in the Museum	41	(14)
The Physical Context: Visitor Pathways	55	(12)
The Physical Context: Exhibits and Labels	67	(16)
The Interplay of Contexts: The Museum as Gestalt	83	(14)
III. The Museum Visit Remembered
Museum Learning Defined	97	(18)
Understanding the Museum Experience	115	(14)
IV. A Professional's Guide to the Museum Experience
Creating the Museum Experience	129	(6)
Creating Museum Experiences for Casual Visitors	135	(16)
Creating Museum Experiences for Organized Groups	151	(12)
Appendix	163	(8)
References	171	(26)
Annotated Bibliography	197