Arianna on Museums and Social Media Technology

Huffingtonpost has an editorial,-"Museums 2.0: What Happens When Great Art Meets New Media?"--commenting on the use of Social Networking by museums.Most of her examples are art museums, rather than cultural/historical museums, but the same points would apply.  She notes that

At their best, social media build community and enhance communication. In the case of museums, they can provide access to a much wider audience, and can extend the museum visit by allowing a user to continue the aesthetic experience after leaving the museum.

but warns

if museums forget their DNA and get their heads turned by every new tech hottie that shimmies by they will undercut the point of their existence. Too much of the wrong kind of connection can actually disconnect us from an aesthetic experience. As Sontag summed it up: "contemplation... entails self-forgetfulness on the part of the spectator."

I suspect that technology will only add to the museum experience.  Those who enjoy museums and the contemplative aspect of viewing art or artifacts in a museum setting will not stop going because they have an app for a museum.  The technology will bring more people to the table--perhaps some of those people who don't share my enthusiasm for a traditional museum visit.

Indian Pueblo Cultural Center

 The Museum at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center  in Albuquerque, New Mexico is part of a large complex of educational and meeting facilities.  We arrived, unfortunately, about an hour before closing time, so our visit was a little rushed--it's another museum that I would love to re-visit before long to spend more time.

At entrance to the Center

Visitors are greeted at the entrance from the parking lot to the museum by a larger-than life statue of a figure carrying a tablet and draped with a blanket bearing crosses.


Inside, the museum has an informal atmosphere.  One room near the entrance displayed dozens of dolls representing different groups of Pueblo Indians.  The figures were beautiful and detailed, set off in groups against a very blue background.  One emphasis of the museum seemed to be an appreciation of the unique character and culture of each different group, so this exhibit and the rest of the museum provide an interesting lesson in the diversity of Pueblo cultures.


The rest of the museum is a little complicated to follow, at least if you're on a time constraint, as we were.  I would definitely recommend reviewing the map/layout material and some of the background information before navigating the museum.  The artifacts and information are displayed in a series of hallways doubling back and forth, and I wasn't always sure what the connection between exhibits was.  Later in the hotel room, I found the map, and was able to piece together what I'd seen earlier.  If possible, plan ahead, visit the website, and find out what other events and tours are available.  We could see that the museum had several interactive and dramatic displays, but these were shut down by the late afternoon.


A large part of the material we saw focused on the work of contemporary artists, with some rather stunning murals, painting, and sculpture.  This seemed to be a departure from many other institutions dedicated to Native American culture that focus almost exclusively on historical artifacts.  We also saw a contemporary exhibit called "Saints of the Pueblos," depicting the patron saints of all the different Pueblos.  I found this interesting again, because it was contemporary, and because, as a native of California, I had always associated the Catholic Church with Mission Indians.  I hadn't realized their role in the culture of the Pueblos.  This exhibit will be running through 2011, according to the website.


Some of the area seemed to be under construction (in July 2010), so we had a little trouble figuring out where to go once we exited the main exhibit area and found ourselves in a courtyard.  Perhaps the late time was also a factor, as guides or docents may have left for the day by the time we made our visit.


The gift shop was extensive, and rather upscale.  A large collection of beautiful shirts and other standard souvenir collections was available, but the shop also had a fine jewelry counter.  The shop also featured an extensive display of books for all levels and educational materials, along with crafts and fine art.

So, if you are going to be in the area, plan ahead and spend some time here, probably about 2 hours for a family with school-aged children. The Harvest Cafe and Bakery was closed when we visited, but it looks like a great way to finish out a visit to the center.    Hope we can try it out next time we're in the area.

Mural on display at museum

From the Museum Website:

 Hours:

Cultural Center & Museum: M-Sun 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Closed major holidays

Gifts: M-Sun 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Closed major holidays

Pueblo Harvest Cafe:  M-Th 8:00 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Fri, Sat  8:00 a.m.  9:00 p.m.

Admission Prices: 

Adult (18 and over): $6.00

Senior (62 and over w/ID): $5.50

New Mexico residents (w/ID): $4.00

Students (w/ID): $3.00

Children 5-17: $3.00

Mississippi River Museum/Mud Island, Memphis TN

The Mississippi River Museum is part of the Mud Island River Park in Memphis.  Visitors purchase tickets to the complex, then take the monorail to the Park.  The walk to the Museum covers one of the most informative displays I've come across:  the Mississippi River Walk, a scale model of the lower Mississippi River.  It's quite a walk; signs along the way highlight important historical and geographic features of the great river.  My 12-year old aspiring engineer was fascinated with following the course of the river--and trying to figure out how to stop it, and what would happen when the water was dammed then released.  For me, the park's layout made the phenomenon of the Mississippi River, and its role in history, more clear than any book or paper map ever did. 

The Museum thoroughly covers, as one would expect, the Riverboat era, highlighting the culture that grew around the river in the 19th century. Artifacts, models, and films complete the experience.  Visitors can examine engines and weaponry, then  learn about the personalities of the time.  One exhibit recreates a riverboat experience, with cabins,deck, and a night sky.  The flip side of the exhibit brings visitors to a similar recreation of the warships that briefly clashed in the Mississippi.
Mark Twain makes an appearance in a mural outside the Riverboat exhibit. 



The museum also introduces visitors to the music of the Mississippi Delta, with instruments, sheet music, and information about the music originating from the area. Biographies of musicians from the Delta provide a history of the Delta Blues.

View from the monorail on the way back from the park

An exhibit and film on the dangers associated with living and working on a major river provided a dramatic (and perhaps a little frightening to young children?) look at the flip side of the economic and trade benefits that bring populations to the river: floods, shipboard fires, and epidemics enabled by travel and climate conditions.

Visitors also learn about pre-19th century culture, as exhibits about trappers and explorers--and before them, Native American inhabitants of the era--show how the river served as a population center for centuries before the grand showboats made an entrance.

 The museum is only open from April-October; we went in July of 2010, and it was quite hot.  Be sure to bring sunscreen for the River Walk--and perhaps water pistols.  Note that there are cafeterias and restaurants at the Musem area, but they were quite crowded, so you might bring snacks to keep everybody happy.  Give the family several hours for the whole experience.  I'm not sure how much preschool or primary-age children would get out of the visit, but older school aged children who have studied some U.S. history will have a great time and have the chance to enhance their understanding of what they learned in school.

On edit:  Julia Keller recently posted a review of Wicked River: The Mississippi When It Last Ran Wild, which sounds like a great follow-up for anyone who enjoyed the River Museum.  I think I'm going to put it on my summer reading list.

From the museum website:

Open April - October 31
Will open for 2011 season on April 9, 2011

April 9 – May 27 10:00 a.m – 5:00 p.m
May 28 – September 4  10:00 a.m - 6:00 p.m
September 6 - October 31 10:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.

Last Admission is one (1) hour prior to closing.
Closed Mondays throughout the season.
General admission and Skybridge access is free
Roundtrip Monorail Ride Only - $4.00 per person, all ages
   (free with a Museum Package purchase!)
Museum Package includes:
*Mississippi River Museum Admission
*Grounds/Riverwalk access
*Roundtrip Monorail Ride
*Optional Guided River Walk Tour

Adults (13-59) - $10.00
Seniors (60 Plus) - $9.00
 Youths (5 – 11) - $7.00
Children (4 and under) - FREE  

Call for group rates, school discounts or education programs !

901-576-7241 or 800-507-6507 

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum seems to be tailor-made for visitors looking for an enjoyable 3 or 4 hour immersion in history.  The exhibits are organized around a large foyer--a perfect meeting place for families and groups who get separated.  This room has its own attraction--life-sized figures of the entire Lincoln family--in the center.  Helpful docents stand nearby, ready to snap pictures of visitors posing with the Lincolns.


Branching out from the entrance, exhibits include a replica of the White House, which has its own entryway and features gowns worn by Mrs. Lincoln and her friends and rivals in Civil-War era Washington D.C.  Figures of Harriet Tubman, Booker T. Washington, and even John Wilkes Booth linger outside.

Live performance venues offered a unique experience, at least for me.  None of the other museums I've visited had anything quite like the shows offered here.  "Ghosts of the Library"  was a one-man show exploring the value of museums and collections for modern audiences.  The presentation was quite well done, bringing in some drama and suspense while covering the theory behind museums providing sources of study for historians as well as emotional connections to the past for its visitors.  The second presentation used a well-known portrait of Lincoln as its starting point for exploring the many approaches to seeing and knowing who Lincoln was and what he did.

Other exhibits positioned around the entry room bring visitors through different periods of Lincoln's life--his childhood, his years as a practicing lawyer, even his time managing a store.  The museum also does a good job of bringing to life the controversy and bitter partisanship surrounding Lincoln.  Editorials, cartoons, and readings from his critics remind us that, in his own time, Lincoln was viewed quite differently than he is today.

A children's activity room, "Mrs. Lincoln's attic," invites younger visitors to try on period clothing and play with old-fashioned games and toys.  My 10 and 12 year olds were a bit older than the target audience, but did appreciate looking at the types of activities featured there.  And then, perhaps the most unintentionally amusing feature of the museum was tucked in a corner.  The ubiquitous "Souvenir Penny" machines, present in many attractions, carried more than a bit of irony here, as visitors were invited to erase the picture of Lincoln already on their penny and stamp a new one on!

All in all, a very well-packaged museum experience, humanizing the man honored in his tomb nearby.

From the museum website:

212 N. Sixth Street, Springfield, IL 62701
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM DAILY

The Museum's admission fee is:

Adult	$12.00
Senior (62 and up)	$9.00
Children (5 - 15)	$6.00
Military (ID required)	$7.00
Students (ID required)	$9.00
Child (under 5)	No Charge
Members	No Charge

Purchase advance Museum Admission
tickets on-line or call (217) 558-8934 for telephone ticket sales.

Laura, A Creole Plantation, New Orleans

The Laura Plantation an hour drive outside of New Orleans provides a somewhat different plantation tour experience from those offered in cotton-growing areas of the Old South.  The plantation grew sugar, not cotton, but more importantly, it emphasizes the Creole culture of Louisiana.  The history of slavery in formerly French-controlled territory follows a slightly different path, and this attraction makes of point of covering some aspects of history that others might gloss over (I recall one plantation tour pointing out the "servant's quarters" when they drove past the slave cabins, for example).  As our guide explained, the French plantations differed in style from the American/English ones; as you can see from the photo, French design was more colorful and more utilitarian.  No ballrooms or grand libraries here--in fact, the rooms designated as working spaces were relatively simple, even sparse.  The tour of the house begins in the basement, where the simple, functional design of the house is explained.

According to the very engaged and informative tour guide, the plantation was re-named after the daughter of its last owners, who left in disgust after hearing of mistreatment of slaves.  The re-naming was apparently an attempt to entice her back.  Family stories recounted on the tour are from her book, Memories of  The Old Plantation Home, sold at the gift shop and the plantation's site.

Signs on the ground discuss the deterioration in treatment of the slaves after the Louisiana Purchase--apparently, France and the Catholic Church provided at least some protection in marital status to slaves, but this was abandoned after the territory changed hands.  The French influence remains; signs are given in French and English, and tours are offered for French speakers.

The plantation also bills itself as the home of the American tales of  B'rer Rabbit (or Compair Lapin), adapted from West-African stories retold and passed on by the plantation's slaves.  The tour features displays on the telling of the stories in the slave cabins.

  

The grounds themselves are beautiful in an almost tropical way.  We visited in Spring, so the weather was pleasant, and we enjoyed a quiet walk around the buildings. A final bonus--several cats kept on the premise, including one who seemed to see himself as a goodwill ambassador for tourists!

I would most definitely recommend Laura Plantation for anyone visiting the area.  Even if you've been on several plantation tours and believe you've done the whole "plantation thing," this one will offer a different perspective.  Make the trip from New Orleans, dress comfortably, and be prepared for a fascinating look at regional history, beautiful scenery, and a unique experience.

Update:  Visiting again in 2012, I noticed that the gift shop offered a wide selection of books on the history of the era, including versions of the Brer Rabbit story, and, of course, Memories of the Old Plantation Home, by Laura (Locoul Gore) herself.  I was surprised that they didn't carry any copies of Cane River, Lalita Tademy's  retelling of her family story of several generations of slave women working on a Louisiana River Planatation.  The gift shop does have wonderful sauces and spices (try the Red Pepper Jelly--really!), a few t-shirts, and home decorations.

From the website:

2247 Highway 18
Vacherie, LA 70090

The Plantation Store Ticket Office opens at 9:30 AM.

First tour of the day begins at 10:00 AM.
Final tour of the day begins at 4:00 PM.

Individual Admission Rate:

• Adult: $18.00
• Student (6-17): $5.00
• Child (0-5): FREE
• AAA Adult: $16.00
• National Trust Adult: $16.00
• Military: $16.00
• We Save Adult: $16.00

Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Museum

The Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Museum is worth a side trip to Abilene, Kansas for a 2-3 hour visit.  The area wears its small-town Americana label with pride, and the museum setting is perfect for the experience.  Visitors enter the reception/gift shop area at first; while you're waiting for the introductory film, check out the "I Like Ike" memorabilia (yes, you can get a button just like the one your grandparents wore) along with WWII and 1950's nostalgic souvenirs and apparel.  Since this is Kansas, you can even get some Wizard of Oz trinkets and tees.

The film is worth watching, if only to escape from today's heavily-partisan atmosphere to a vision of a time when everyone seemed to look up to and respect the president--in fact, the film points out that both parties were interested in drafting Eisenhower to run for the presidency, and his eventual choice of the Republican party was not an immediately obvious one.  Hard to imagine that scenario today.  Even if the film shows the 50s through a rose-colored lens, it's enjoyable, not too long, and a good review of Eisenhower's life and the mid-20th century United States.

Eisenhower's childhood home

You'll walk the grounds around Eisenhower's boyhood home to get to the museum from the reception area.  The house itself is picture-perfect; you'll be able to get a brief tour of the main rooms.

The entry room of the museum features wall-sized murals of Eisenhower's career.  Inside, displays range from childhood and college mementos to wartime artifacts.  Several exhibits describe and illustrate the liberation of death camps and the aftermath, including logistical issues in caring for newly released prisoners.  Others showcase wartime strategies.  A copy of Eisenhower's alternative letter---penned in preparation for the possible failure of D-Day--provides a sobering reminder of the stakes involved in the operation.

On a lighter note, an exhibit room devoted to Mamie shows off some of her gorgeous dresses and home decor, and dolls featuring gowns of the first ladies.  A television monitor plays clips of fairly late appearances.  An interview with Barbara Walters, for example, features Mamie responding to questions about her husband's alleged infidelities with a confident dismissal.

The section on his presidency covers notable events such as the Cold War and Central High School's integration in Little Rock; there is also an exhibit discussing the heart attack he had in office--something I'd never heard about before.  An exhibit on the era itself features artifacts and iconic images from the 50s.

Addendum:  If you're on Facebook, you can follow the Eisenhower Museum.  They are currently (February 2011) renovating several of the exhibits, and have posted a photo album chronicling the renovation process.

(Note--links are to a website maintained by the Kansas Sampler Foundation:  the official museum site seems to be under construction or repair).

From the website:

Address: 200 SE 4th Street, Abilene, KS 67410 

Phone: 785.263.6700

Admission charge and hours:
$8 adults, $6 senior citizens, $1 8-15 years. All buildings at the Center are open daily from 9 a.m. until 4:45 p.m. but are closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. From Memorial Day until mid-August the Visitors Center is open from 8 a.m. until 5:45 p.m.

Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma City

The Oklahoma History Center, opened in 2005, is a beautiful, still sparkling-new museum. State museums generally have a lot of ground to cover, and have to face the challenges of what to include and how to organize and display the wide range of available material.  Exhibits here range from the very popular "Another Hot Oklahoma Night: A Rock & Roll Exhibit" to exhibits on Oklahoma cartoonists, Native American tribes, kitchens, and aeronautics.


It's really a full-day experience, or perhaps a 2 half-day project.  For tourists trying to see everything in one several-hour visit, the range can be overwhelming.  I could have spent an entire visit in the arts and entertainment section, which started with the guitar display at the entrance and led to a full room on the rock/country exhibit "Another Hot Oklahoma Night," with a huge range of Oklahoma-based acts, including instruments, costumes, posters, and a section set up to look like a 70's college dorm room.  Life sized posters outside featured Woody Guthrie, Charlie Christian, and Bob Wills, and one of the first acts featured inside is Wanda Jackson,  reflecting the local Oklahoma influence on popular music. Newer music makes an appearance as well--The Flaming Lips are one of the modern bands with a presence here.


Broader cultural exhibits include an extensive walk-through the century section, with fashions and fads from the 20th century (I had forgotten all about the new-fangled Trimline phones of the 70s!) and samples of kitchen decor and appliances in bygone years.

A replica of the Winnie May highlights the aeronautics section, and provides a stunning foreground for a shot of the Oklahoma State Capitol.  There is also a cute little cafe here decorated with old-fashioned luggage--another memory trigger.  See if you can find the classic Samsonite design your parents took on their honeymoon!

Extensive historical exhibits on Oklahoma politics, African-Americans in Oklahoma, and Native American tribes could take several hours to absorb on their own.  And, like many other state museums, the History Center has exhibits on prominent native citizens in the military.  If you're traveling, then, you might want to consider either choosing an area and focusing your time (perhaps on one of the subjects you can't find in other museums) or allotting  a couple of 2-3 hour visits.  Give yourself time to look around outside as well; the exhibits continue with a scaled Red River path outside,and models of working oil derricks, reflecting the influence of the oil industry in Oklahoma's history.


The gift shop is definitely worth a look as well--a large selection of original, location-specific t-shirts, lots of children's gifts.

From the website:

Oklahoma History Center                                      Museum Hours             
800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive                                               Monday - Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Oklahoma City, OK 73105                                         Closed: Sundays, New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day
405-522-0765

Admission
Adults: $7
Seniors ( 62+): $5
Students: $4
Children (5 & Under): Free
Family: $18.00
Veterans and Active Duty Military: Free            OHS Members: Free
Group Rate (10+): $5 per person
Discounts for OMA, AAM, Time Travelers network, Smithsonian Institute and Affiliate Members

Old State House Museum, Little Rock

The Old State House Museum occupies the former State House for Arkansas.  The use of an historical building (as opposed to the new, modern buildings created for other state history museums, such as North Carolina's and Oklahoma's) offers some advantages.  To begin with, the site is beautiful.  Visitors can admire the historical building itself, rather than relying on pictures or models.  There is also a certain privilege involved in sitting in and occupying the rooms where history happened.   Of course, there are some trade-offs.  Rooms have to be re-imagined from their original purpose to accommodate displays and lines of visitor traffic.  Rather than the stunning, open great room that newer museums have as an entrance, the Arkansas History Museum has a hallway followed by the admission desk.

Once inside, the museum has the more intimate feeling that one would expect from a well-used historical building.  Exhibits spread across several rooms explore the history of the State House itself, and the dedicated women who protected and preserved it.  At one point, the building housed a medical school, and artifacts and photographs highlight the use of the building and the state of medicine during its use in that capacity. Another room features memorabilia from Bill Clinton's years as governor and from his campaign for the presidency. Visitors can also view--and sit in--the room used by state legislatures in earlier years.

The museum also explores the state's ambiguous reputation.  A permanent exhibit titled "Arkansas/Arkinsaw: A State and its Reputation" takes an interesting look, as their website notes, at  "the early development of a dual image, with Arkansawyers being portrayed as coarse, illiterate, and violent backwoodsmen on one hand, while also lifted up as noble frontiersmen – independent, honest, and humble."  Cartoons, quotations, and artifacts--such as Grandpa Jones' banjo--explore, explain, and question the image of the Ozark Hillbilly.  I found this the most interesting part of the museum, since it looked at this material with a sense of humor even as it considered the perhaps more serious implications of the hillbilly stereotype.

Information from museum website:

Admission is FREE
Open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday;
Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, & New Years Day

Location & Directions
The museum is located at 300 W. Markham, situated between the DoubleTree and Peabody Hotels.

Levine Museum of the New South, Charlotte

The "New South" in the museum's title reflects the economic and social gains of the South in the 20th century.  As Edward Rothstein points out in his review of the Levine Museum in the New York Times,

It is unlikely that anything resembling the impressive Levine Museum of the New South would exist anywhere else. A museum of the New North or the New East would be merely peculiar, but here the term “New South” has a venerable heritage, recalling unrealized hopes and great expectations. There is also much at stake in trying to understand just what the term really means.

 This museum followed a trend throughout the South of looking into and even confronting the past of the "Old South."  The museum is divided into two main levels.  On the lower level, visitors experience a history museum with the theme of progress.  Agricultural exhibits on farm equipment and life as a tenant farmer show how far behind the Old South was in industry and economic power in the post Civil War-early 20th century era.  An exhibit on racist groups provides a fairly honest look at the Councils and Klans--costumes and other artifacts are displayed.  (In one interesting approach to displaying disturbing material, the museum covered a photograph of a lynching scene and offered a warning to visitors about the material.)

Other civil-rights era exhibits include the infamous Greensboro Lunch counter and a replica of a school bus used for integration.  Television monitors in this area replay key news broadcasts from the era, awakening memories for those who lived through the events and making it more immediate for younger viewers.

Much of the museum also focuses on agriculture, industry, and economy in the South.  A brief film near the entrance narrates the progression from farming to industries (primarily textiles) to banking (although the film may need updating in light of the recent financial crisis).  My own family found the replica of milltown housing---an integral element in the textile industry's economy-- fascinating.  My husband and son played a game of bottlecap checkers there, and my daughter explored the kitchen cabinets and the wood stove.  My own interest reflected something more personal; my mother spent her earliest years in a house and a kitchen much like this one, in a small town in North Carolina in the 1930s.

  At the top level, the museum transforms from a historical/cultural experience to a tolerance museum.  These are interactive exhibits, offering visitors the chance to try on different clothes, respond to situations, and question their assumptions about other people.  One exhibit, for example, displayed pictures of individuals who might be easily stereotyped, then invited viewers to open a panel to reveal surprising or unexpected information about each person.

Rothstein mentioned that, until recent budget cuts, a Levine field trip had been a required part of  North Carolina's 8th grade curriculum.  I'll have to say that I hope those funds are restored soon; the museum offers a thoughtful, well-organized educational experience for all visitors, but it would seem particularly appropriate for upper-elementary and middle school students who are ready for this material and who need to move beyond a textbook to appreciate it fully.

Information from website:

Admission
Adults	$6.00
Seniors (62+) and Students	$5.00
Children (6-18)	$5.00
Family	$17.00
Under 6 free
Groups*	$4.00
*10 or more, with advance reservation

Hours
Monday - Saturday:  10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday:  12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Closed Easter Sunday, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day.

Parking
On weekdays, Levine Museum provides visitors 2 hours of validation for parking in Seventh Street Station parking deck, which is located next to the museum. After 2 hours, regular parking fees apply.
On weekends and for evening events, the museum provides parking validation, with no hourly limit.
Visitors should present parking ticket for validation at the Guest Services desk upon arrival.

Scott Joplin House State Historic Park

The Scott Joplin House  seems to be a museum in progress.  Joplin lived here for only a few years, early in his first marriage.  The museum is working on furnishing and decorating with period household goods.  The exhibit on the main floor, in fact, explains that few of Joplin's belongings are available, and describes how they are trying to locate and refurbish items that accurately reflect the era--according to the website, 1902.  Copies of Joplin's sheet music and other memorabilia decorate the walls.

The museum experience begins with a film on Joplin's life, which we found informative--if a bit too long.  A guide escorts visitors upstairs, where they can see a re-creation of the bedrooms.  One room holds a period piano.  Back downstairs, the guide takes requests for the player piano.

I would like to visit this museum again in 5 or 6 years, just because I think there is a potential there for much more, and it hasn't quite been achieved yet.  The introductory video, for example, could be edited to cut about 10 minutes.  The guides, while friendly and informative, could be more helpful with a little more background knowledge about the music.  Also, according to one of the brochures available, the museum is associated with The Rosebud Cafe, a performance venue for Joplin's works, including his opera Treemonisha.  I'm hoping that soon the connection will be made more explicit, and visitors will be offered more assistance in combining the museum with the performance.


Update, 30 March 11--The museum has updated its website, and has a new video with a tour preview and information about the Rosebud Cafe, which is available to rent for performances or events.

Info from website:

2658A Delmar
St. Louis, MO 63103

314-340-5790

Hours:

Summer Hours (On-Season)

• March through October - 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday (closed Sunday)

Winter Hours (Off-Season)

• November through January - Closed
• February - 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday (closed Sunday and Monday)

Tours are offered every hour.

Tour Prices:

Adults: $4.00

Children 6-12: $2.50

Under 6: Free

Group Rates (15 or more; reserve 1 week in advance @ 314-340-5790):  

Adults:  $3.00

Children 6-12: $1.50

Interesting article in WSJ

The Wall Street Journal has an article on how museums study visitors to evaluate the appeal of their exhibits. 

 In "The Museum is Watching You: Galleries Quietly Study What People Like, or Skip, to Decide What Hangs Where,"  Isaac Arnsdorf writes

More museums are paying to send stealth observers through their galleries. Based on what they see, the museums may rearrange art or rewrite the exhibit notes. Their efforts reflect the broader change in the mission of museums: It's no longer enough to hang artfully curated works. Museum exhibits are expected to be interactive and engaging. As well, many foundations and donors are requiring proof that their funding is well-spent, and the studies provide data to show a rise in traffic or exhibit engagement.

One sticking points seems to be the text that accompanies many exhibits.  Museums are working on making the text shorter and more visually appealing to visitors. Providing a narrative for an exhibit also seems to spike interest.

Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum

The Oklahoma City Memorial shows just how wide the potential and purpose of the concept of "museum" can be.  Looking at the work and planning that went into this museum, we can also see how difficult it must be to put an event like the OKC bombing on display.

The Memorial Pool

The museum sits across from the public memorial--the black pool and the empty chairs.  Visitors are brought through a timeline of  the morning of the bombing, April 19, 1995.  Radio weathercasts and recollections of the early morning events and routine situate the visitor in the perspective of ordinary citizens before the bombing.  One exhibit re-creates a room where ordinary city business was being conducted, and plays a recording of the meeting that was taking place, complete with the sound of an explosion and shattering glass that interrupted it.  The rupture between the moments before the bomb and everything that has come after remains the dominant theme of the museum.  The pool sits between 2 markers, one representing the minute before the bombing, the other the minute afterward--with the pool itself as the enormous chasm between before and after.

Other exhibits cover the aftermath from various perspectives.  For example, a display of political cartoons recalls some of the reactions from across the country.  This exhibit also calls attention to the common assumption before Timothy McVeigh''s arrest that the bombing must have been a Muslim plot. As for McVeigh, pictures and a discussion of his trial and execution find just the right touch to convey information while avoiding sensationalism.  The focus stays on the victims, with personal artifacts recovered from the Murrah Building--eyeglasses, clothing, office equipment--and information on the fate of the owners. Several exhibits also commemorate those who helped, from first responders to those who worked with survivors to other cities and groups that offered support in the aftermath.  Visitors also have the opportunity to listen to the words of survivors and witnesses in private cubicles. 

One considerate touch--boxes of tissues placed discretely through many of the exhibits--showed how deeply visitors were affected.  Another welcome, considerate touch was the exhibit on Judge Alfred P. Murrah, for whom the building was named. 

Survivor Tree

The museum achieves at least two goals--memorializing the victims (and the pre-bombing version of OKC itself), and learning from the event.  The Survival Tree just outside the museum serves as a logo and symbol of the mission to provide comfort and hope.  The website recommends allowing 1 1/2 hours for the visit; I believe our visit was closer to 2 hours.  We had 10 and 12 year old children with us, which meant lots of explaining and questions. 

Info from the website:

620 N. Harvey, Oklahoma City
405.235.3313 888.542.HOPE

Open Mon-Sat 9:00-6:00
Sunday 1:00-6:00  (except Memorial Day-Labor Day--12:00-6:00)

Adult	$10
Senior (62+)	$8
Military (With ID)	$8
Student (6-17 or college student with current ID)	$8
Children (5 years and under)	Free

Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory

The Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory is a pleasant walk from Louisville's Convention Center and surrounding hotels.  I visited the Museum in March of 2010, and the website boasts of some recently finished updates, so there may be more now than what I saw a few months ago.

I was able to go on a factory tour, which I would definitely recommend.  Sign up for a tour at the front desk as soon as you get there--or you may be able to stop in before your visit and sign up.   The guide was friendly and quick with the expected jokes--great personality for the setting and subject.  In addition to seeing how bats were made, we had a chance to see some of the bats made for specific players, and learned about some of the more interesting special requests.  Be sure to ask for some free "nubs."

A video--I believe it was called "The Crack of the Bat"--showcased some of the famous hits delivered by Louisville Sluggers.  Nothing new, but baseball fans will always enjoy seeing some of the great moments of the game (note, however, that only Louisville Slugger hits are included, which explains why a handful of memorable hits don't appear there.)

Exhibits include one of Babe Ruth's bats, complete with his home run notches.  Visitors have a chance to try their hands at hitting a simulation of a major league fastball.  Timelines chronicle the history of baseball and of the Louisville factory.  Give yourself about 1 1/2 to 2 hours to do the tour, visit the exhibits, and see the video.

 
The gift shop here has one of the better selections of t-shirts--all colors, all sizes.  This would be a good place to pick up fairly unique shirts for the folks on your gift list.  Their featured item is a personalized mini-bat; if you want one, be sure to order it before you start the tour and visit, since it takes a while to produce.

Info from the website:

$10 - Adults (13-59)
$  9 - Seniors (60+)
$  5 - Kids (6-12)
Kids 5 and younger free
 
Open 9-6 daily, 12-6 during summer, 9-5 and 12-5 rest of the year; closed major holidays.

Historic Voodoo Museum, New Orleans LA

The Historic Voodoo Museum in New Orleans was a great way to begin our NOLA visit in March of 2008.  We arrived in New Orleans after a delayed flight, suffering from jet lag and lack of sleep.  This was an easy, low-key way to begin immersing ourselves in the New Orleans atmosphere.

Photo from museum website

Visitors should know going in that this is not a traditional, formal museum.  I noticed that commenters on some travel sites complained that there wasn't much to the museum, that it was just a few rooms with artifacts and pictures.  My reaction was that this observation was, strictly speaking, accurate, but that the intimate setting was appropriate for this collection.  The entry area--which doubled as the gift shop--was a small foyer; the exhibits began on a hallway, with photos and pictures of people and places relevant to Voodoo in New Orleans.  The exhibit rooms--I believe there were 3--contained artifacts and information related to Voodoo.  There was some interactivity (no, you don't get to put voodoo curses on people!) with a wishing tree in the last room  My 8 year old daughter enjoyed writing down a wish and putting in in the tree.

So, it's relatively inexpensive, short, and focused.  It will give you some of the background and atmosphere to understand voodoo references you might see or read about later in New Orleans.  If this sort of experience is what you're looking for, stop in.  You know you'll be in the French Quarter anyway!


Info from website:

724 Rue Domaine
New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 860-0128

7 days, 10:00-6:00 (or later--not sure what that means!)
$7.00 General Admission
$5.50 Seniors, Military, College Students
$4.50 High School Students
$3.50 Under Age 12