REPORT: Museums must focus on memorable and meaningful family experiences
…so reports the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, with research by Baker Richards and reporting by the Museums & Heritage Show.
Museum Learning Editorial: This report could well reflect in its scope, supporting evidence for what I have long suspected to be true: that people still seek meaningful, ‘free’ encounters with heritage and learning, as much as with ticketed, significant price venues; with a higher percentage of visits made at free venues. There are obviously financial reasons for this, but the M&H team conclude: focus on selling memories, rather than dwell time. You know what lays down memories? Learning and reflection - especially when shared with loved ones. There is neuroscience to back this….we are more likely to get a sense of ‘living in the moment’ and shared experience from the neurohormones associated with reading, learning and deep discussion. The moments of discussion responding to prompts in a family space inside a free local town museum may actually turn out to be just as memorable as a visit to the Tussaud’s group.
The visitor experience space to work on: capturing the attention of young families within gallery, to spend time with a handful of exhibits contextualised for maximum engagement through handling, story or transactional activity.
M&H also report that an average family budget for leisure is £200 per month. Well, I certainly know families for whom £200 represents at least two weeks’ food budget. These families are the ones who deserve the nourishing and memorable experiences at their local free sites. I would love it if the respect we collectively have across the sector for dwell-time in art, was applied to seemingly ‘opaque’ Victorian mangles, prehistory hand-axes and Edwardian spring water bottles. Are we inviting visitors and families to dwell on these things in meaningful ways? Where do these things take their imagination, and what can they tell us about that?
ALVA report:
https://museumsandheritage.com/advisor/posts/report-traditional-family-ticket-fails-to-serve-41-of-families/?utm_source=Museums+%2B+Heritage&utm_campaign=696d0e2c52-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2025_03_13_12_42_COPY_16&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-2149d7db3b-472604045
