# ST's - for practical ends, tell me your best museum experiences



## briesas (Mar 5, 2010)

I'm participating in the planning process for building a new/ redesigning a history museum. In a recent workshop on visitor experiences, i realized that my best experiences in museums or collecting institutions of any type are the ones that blow me away with an emotional experience through inciting my passions or arousing strong empathy, especially when i don't expect it. I also realized that this is not necessarily true for all types -- I suspect people who primarily prefer sensing and thinking a very different type of 'wow' than those of us who prefer feeling and/or intuition. Today, our director (an ENTP and a true visionary, usually) repeated to me vehemently the same notion I previously had of a museum expereince being great because of the emotions it arouses. I think it's worth arguing the point - and while we're certainly using a variety of metrics to design the thing, i thought I would ask. As ST's, can you describe to me what a 'knock your socks off' experience in any type of museum-like place has been?


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## DustyDrill (May 20, 2011)

Written facts about what is being displayed, as well as an attractive and creative display catches my attention like no other. I like to learn as much as I like to see and experience.


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## grrl (Sep 29, 2011)

As a child I loved science museums because you got to touch things, press buttons, pull levers, etc. There was a Viking centre I really enjoyed - they recreated certain smells. I can still remember the exact street smell though it was well over a decade ago. 

There's an area in the V&A where you can try on theatre costumes. I still like this roud:

But mostly nowadays it's about the text. 

Also, being able to look at handwritten letters, diaries, sketchbooks, etc is quite important to me. This aids my emotional response I think.


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## Tempest09 (Jun 19, 2011)

Anything hands on. I've had a number of fantastic experiences ranging from hands on science demos (like standing in the hurricane wind generator) and rock quarry fossil hunt day trips at Tampa's Museum of Science and Industry, to crawling through the belly of a B-17 and into the gunner's bubble, at Fantasy of Flight in Polk City Fl. 
I will say one thing for certain, and that's that ambience will make or break the exhibit. 

Example....checking out a B-17 is cool....but checking it out in a room designed to look like a WW2 airfield is awesome.


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## Erbse (Oct 15, 2010)

I can't do museums of any kind, I just don't see the point.

Not helpful, I know, but what can I do.


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## DustyDrill (May 20, 2011)

Tempest09 said:


> Anything hands on. I've had a number of fantastic experiences ranging from hands on science demos (like standing in the hurricane wind generator) and rock quarry fossil hunt day trips at Tampa's Museum of Science and Industry, to crawling through the belly of a B-17 and into the gunner's bubble, at Fantasy of Flight in Polk City Fl.
> I will say one thing for certain, and that's that ambience will make or break the exhibit.
> 
> Example....checking out a B-17 is cool....but checking it out in a room designed to look like a WW2 airfield is awesome.


That is absolutely fantastic.


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## briesas (Mar 5, 2010)

I was kind of figuring something super sensory might do it, although in was suprised by the 'good text.' appeals to Ti, maybe? 

@_Erbse_ not seeing the point of them at all is a perfectly informative, valid, possibly ST related, possibly not experience.

@_DustyDrill_ I'd have laid dollars to dimes you'd say 'the time I had sex in the middle of a wild west diorama.' 

@_grr_l I'd assume reproductions of the handwritten stuff would be less helpful/provacative?


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## DustyDrill (May 20, 2011)

briesas said:


> I was kind of figuring something super sensory might do it, although in was suprised by the 'good text.' appeals to Ti, maybe?
> 
> @_Erbse_ not seeing the point of them at all is a perfectly informative, valid, possibly ST related, possibly not experience.
> 
> ...


I'm kind of intrigued that I seem like some sort of stud, but no. I tend to stick to secluded areas for sex 
Though, if she were a museum security guard and snuck me in at night... Ok, getting too pornographic, moving on.


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