Many people get
turned off with the idea of visiting museums. But for my family of four,
museums are awesome and interesting places to enjoy- they offer exhibits and
collections you will perhaps never see as they are rare and they offer avenues
for intellectual exploration which can lead to more amazing discoveries for
your kids particularly, depending on their interests.
First, what are
museums?
According to
the Museum Association website (UK ):
'Museums enable people to explore collections for inspiration, learning and
enjoyment. They are institutions that collect, safeguard and make accessible
artefacts and specimens, which they hold in trust for society.' This definition
includes art galleries with collections of works of art, as well as museums
with historical collections of objects."
Often they are
housed in huge buildings with several levels like the Natural History Museums
in almost every country. Or, they can be in a small "Heritage listed"
old home that often has been restored and so forth.
Here are some
guidelines on getting the most from your museum visit, based on my personal
experience:
Do your
research before your intended visit. This way, you will know which areas
you need to spend more time in and those you don't need to see or just pass
through quickly.
For instance,
when my boys were fascinated with dinosaurs and other prehistoric stuff, we
took them to the Field Museum in Chicago
which was an enormous place with various sections. So we knew which floors to
go to first and then just browsed through the others. But, once we were there,
we were also fascinated with the various natural stones and minerals exhibits
that this encouraged my boys to get interested in collecting stones and forge
metals.To this day, they have a growing collection of pocket knives (all legal)
and the like.
Ask the staff
or read up which exhibits have hands on and allow people to touch and explore.
The Powerhouse Museum
and Children's Museums in Australia
and also in the Philippines
allow lots of hand on experience so both kids and adults can interact or enjoy
the exhibits more in a relaxed and playful atmosphere.
Don't forget to
consult the map of the museum so you can plan your visit too and not get lost
going to and from various levels.
If you are a
matured person and are into arts- painting, sculptures, and the like then you
can proceed to the art section of the museum.
Whatever your
interests and preferences, I am positive there is something that will interest
you in every museum.
Find out where
the special and rare exhibits are. For example- Chinese terracotta warriors
specially flown from China for just a certain time so find out in case you have
not seen them as they are valuable and you save time and money this way. Or the
Utzi exhibit at Sydney 's Powerhouse
Museum where an "Iced
Man"" was found in Europe and was
the subject of lots of studies and experiments detailing how ancient people
lived in those very cold areas. This exhibit fascinated us as the man was
preserved and we learned more about their lifestyle and their survival methods.
Learn the
history of the place you're living in. In Tasmania for instance, there is a small
heritage museum near the shopping precinct we often go to.
One day, to our
surprise, we went in and found that it was an exquisite museum full of
memorabilia, exhibits and collections depicting the interesting history of the
area we've recently moved into. It showed when the first settlers came to the
region, even their furnitures, tools and industry which were uniquely displayed
that people can actually touch them (except a few that are enclosed or closed
off ) and explore and imagine how the people in the early days lived.
It was one of
our most refreshing visits and it was FREE! The place just had a box for
donations if you would like to give or not, it was up to the visitor.
So the next
time you visit a country or area, find out where the museums are and you you'll
know more about it in just a few hours!
Many museums
are free so find out before you go.
Make sure you
know the rules- especially for photography.
We've taken a
lot of photos of many exhibits as long as flash is not used.Often museums
disallow flash photography. Unless the place has very valuable art pieces like
the one in Italy's Sistine Chapel with the Last Supper (with very sophisticated
security measures), then by all means take your camera (often videotaping is
NOT allowed also).
Explore not
just the inside but outside of the museum as well.
Another famous
place here in Tassie is the MONA (Museum
of Old and New Art) which
as changing exhibits of various works and a steady collection of old and new
works as the name suggests. Just outside are fascinating sculptural works
enough to make you look inside! People all over the world have marveled at the
art works there but for us, the ones outside are enough, there are peacocks and
chicken, picnic areas so families don't even have to get inside and pay
the entrance, a big bonus!
Make sure you
eat a good meal before going as it can be a few hours or more, based on
your interest.
If you go on an
empty stomach, it will not be enjoyable. However, museums have cafes in many
places, but prices can be prohibitive too. Or, find out if the place has picnic
areas where you can take your kids if they get a bit edgy or bored. Then you
can come back once they have relaxed again.
So aside from
historical information, there's also the artistic and cultural values which we
could develop in our kids and even within us. Whatever we fancy in our present
life, we could perhaps draw inspiration from the pieces, art works and other
stuff inside the museums or art galleries.
Next time you
intend to visit a museum, have an open mind.
It can make you
change your view of various facets of society and learn more about each place
and then when you finish, you facilitate more learning as you read up more
about the area or any interesting piece that made you say,
"Wow, how
did he make that?" (for a piece of art for example); Or, how did the
ancient men live without modern gadgets or the mobile phone, etc.
Don't stop at
one visit, stimulate learning by making a follow up.
Even for your
kids, don't stop at the museum visit. Once you leave, talk about what they saw
and what interested them and which ones they would like to read up more.
Then as a
family you can go and find out more or collect things related to the area that
interested you and so forth. Hence, learning is facilitated and every one will
benefit from this museum trip after all!
So the next
time you visit a country or area, find out where the museums are and you'll
know more about it in just a few hours!
That's a lot of
information to process and you've stimulated your mind during those times.
Don't be put
off with the old notion that museums are boring! They are wonderful areas of
exploration- you might even discover you have some items left by your
ancestors/grandparents that may be important and before you know it, you'll be
back to the museum to show the staff and ask them if they are valuable, not
just for monetary value but for the information they hold!
Give museums a
go and learn from the experience if you plan your trip well.
Author Bio:
Marie is a Tasmania-based columnist whose writings appeared in journals and community newspapers in Australia. Her work "If I were a flower" won in a writing competition held in Melbourne. She is the founder of Global Citizens Care Movement helping needy children of her native country, the Philippines.
Author Bio:
Marie is a Tasmania-based columnist whose writings appeared in journals and community newspapers in Australia. Her work "If I were a flower" won in a writing competition held in Melbourne. She is the founder of Global Citizens Care Movement helping needy children of her native country, the Philippines.
Great tips, Marie, esp. about remembering to eat. Some museums have nothing! (Even the ones who have restaurants are sometimes too expensive.) Even though the optimal way to figure out how to visit a museum is to visit the museum, scout all around, and then figure out how you really want to spend your time, I've found Rick Steves very reliable when it comes to what to see at big museums. He's very realistic as to what the "average" museum-goer can absorb, and some of his tips are useful for children as well.
ReplyDeleteActually, I think some of my friends have more trouble at museums than children do!