Museum Studies Blog at Tufts University

I’ve been doing the “Perceptual Form of the City” hands-on demo at the MIT Museum for almost a year now, and it’s my first experience in engaging with visitors in the museum directly.  The premise for the demo is as follows: I ask the visitors to draw a map of Boston and then ask them to consider why they chose certain features and compare it to other maps that I have on hand. I then relate patterns in their drawings to the research of MIT Professor Kevin A. Lynch and his book Images of the City (1960), which is a landmark text in urban planning. In the 1950’s, Professor Lynch asked both visitors and residents of Boston to draw the city, and found insights into what details make a city “work” and what doesn’t. I’m not going to go into details in hopes that you’ll swing by the MIT Museum one weekend and participate!

Recently, I’ve been reflecting on what makes this demonstration successful, especially since I’m in the midst of creating my own. I’ve adapted the way I engage with visitors since starting out at the museum last autumn, and here’s a list of things that I’ve found helps ensure success:

Continue reading Science in Museums: What makes a successful hands-on demonstration in the gallery?