Museum Audience Insight

Museum Advocates - Not Your Standard Visitor

Museum Advocates.  Just the sound of the phrase creates the image of someone who believes passionately in museums. 

But what is a Museum Advocate exactly?  How are they different than the other visitors to your museum?  Why are they difficult to distinguish?

A couple of weeks ago, we were working through some data from a recent lifestyle survey that we ran outside of the museum field.  In that survey, we had asked how respondents liked to spend their leisure time, and gave 15 options, of which visiting museums was one.  23% of respondents chose visiting museums, and those respondents were then asked what types of museums they like to visit.  When we saw the results, we were surprised by their responses, and looked to our recent studies on children's museum visitors (for ACM - the Association of Children's Museums) and outdoor history museum visitors to compare.  The difference was striking; those who self-identify as enjoying visiting museums in their leisure time were much more likely to visit more types of museums than respondents to our museum surveys.

So what is going on?

To dig deeper, we pulled out one demographic group that had statistically stable data across all three surveys:  moms in their 30s.  And then we charted their museum visitation.  This is what we found:

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For zoos/aquariums, children's museums, and science centers, visitation is high for all three response pools.  This makes a lot of sense as these are the types of museums moms with young children, our sample here, are most likely to visit, but these are also the museum types that have the lowest perceived barriers of entry.

Things changes as you go across the chart, however, with Museum Advocates showing higher visitation across the board, at times by over 50 percentage points (with the exception of outdoor history visitors who, by default, clocked in at 100% for historic sites).  Museum Advocates are much more likely to go to more museums of all types, regardless of any perceived barriers of entry or not. 

Simply put, the core visitors from our museum surveys go to fewer museums than those who self-identified as enjoying visiting museums from a non-museum survey.  There is a clear difference between them, and when we puzzled over how to describe this, we realized that we can segment the general public into four groups, seen below:

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For the general public, museums are not really on their radar screen.  If they find themselves in one, it is a rare occurrence.  Within that circle, however, you have the casual visitor who may find themselves in a museum every now and then, but do not typically seek them out.  Additionally, they are unlikely to be members. 

The core visitors are different. They are members and supporters of museums, are on e-mail lists, and respond to the surveys we field.  They like their local museums, and visit the appropriate ones for their children's ages and interests.  But what seems to be lacking is an emotional connection to the museum. A connection that Museum Advocates feel and that manifests itself in a pattern of museum visitation and long-term commitment unlike that of core advocates. 

So the question becomes "how do you turn those core visitors into Museum Advocates?"

There are two immediate answers.  First, we believe that there are some core visitors that can be converted into Museum Advocates.  To do so, museums have to understand the needs and interests of those core visitors, and provide mission-based programs and exhibits that appeal to the intellect, and emotions, of those visitors, creating that long-term connection and commitment. 

Secondly, the children that core visitors bring to museums are future Museum Advocates. Our research indicates that Museum Advocates have parents with higher educational attainment than other visitors, which we believe indicates they were more likely to visit museums as children, creating the museum-going habit.  Children visiting today are developing a habit of museum visitation at a young age that museums would do well to encourage to grow into a long-term connection and commitment. 

This short article only begins the conversation about Museum Advocates.  Check back on our blog over the next few weeks for more on how the lifestyles of Museum Advocates are different than other visitors and non-visitors, and to dig deeper into 30s moms as core visitors, but not Museum Advocates. If you have thoughts or comments on this article, be sure and click on "comments," below. 

Authenticity and Museums

Authenticity. You see the word everywhere. 

Flipping through a recent issue of a travel magazine, I saw it describing Paris (how to find "hidden nooks of authenticity"), and Fez ("the most haunting and authentic medieval city in the world"). New York City has pockets of authenticity too - "high fashion and authentic fare now line New York streets once crowded with immigrants."  Never mind that that statement makes no sense. And are you a "real traveler . . . someone who cares about authenticity?"  If so, the magazine may want you on their reader panel.   

So is authenticity the latest buzzword?  Or is it vitally important to museum visitors?

Three months ago, I would have been in the buzzword camp.  Now, I have changed my mind.  What changed it?  Well, we asked over 5,000 visitors to outdoor history museums to share their thoughts, and 3,000 raised authenticity as an imperative for museums.  That is a stunning response to a written-in question on a survey. 

And what does it mean?  In short, "everything," as one respondent put it.  Being authentic is critically important to museum visitors, and a huge challenge to museums because in addition to being important, it is expected by visitors. Museums then have to meet those significantly higher expectations . . . a challenge not necessarily true of museums' competitors for visitor leisure time.

But what does authenticity mean to visitors?  And how do you signal it?

Interestingly, what they said applies to museums of all types.  58% of the comments reflected a desire for visitors to know the information provided to them is grounded in research.  They used words like "honest," "true," "correct," and "facts."  For the majority of these visitors, then, it is a trustworthiness issue.  If they do not trust what you present, you are not authentic to visitors.   (As a quick aside, we are asking about trustworthiness in our ASTC survey currently out in the field, so you will be hearing more on this issue from the perspective of science museum visitors this fall!)

A quarter of the respondents felt that authenticity meant the real thing, using words like "real," "honest," and "actual."  For a history museum, it means they want to know if the object in front of them is the actual one used by George Washington, and not a reproduction or a replica.  Or a fake - because if it not the actual one, and you do not say it, the object, and your museum, are now firmly in the fake camp . . . decidedly not where you want to be.

Respondents used interesting words to describe what was not authentic to them, including:

• fake stuff
• commercial
• "made in China"
• Disney
• fictionalized
• romanticized
• plastic

Anything that made them feel they were being cheated of accuracy, angered them. 

So how do you signal authenticity, and what are the faux flags?  Our respondents indicated that the deeper and more immersive their experience was, the more authentic, and desirable, they found it. Those experiences, particularly in outdoor history museums, are highly contingent on the interpretive staff that dress in the period, sometimes act of the period, and share what life was like in a certain time.  The enthusiasm, engagement, and interest of the staff, and how important that was to visitors, reaffirmed for us that hiring for attitude is far more important than hiring for aptitude. It is much harder to train staff to be friendly than it is to train them to demonstrate a historic trade. Other signals of authenticity include attention to details (no sneakers on 18th-century interpreters), careful site planning to minimize the appearance or modern facilities, and opportunities to create handmade takeaways (because anything you make yourself is authentic). 

Faux flags included technology at historic sites (such as televisions or computers), commercialization, and proclaming authenticity.  In short, if you proclaim you are authentic, you immediately raise doubts that perhaps you are not authentic.  If you are authentic, which museums are, pretty much by definition for visitors, then you do not have to proclaim it.  They know.  Now signal it. 

This short article only skims the surface of what authenticity means to visitors.  If you have thoughts or comments, be sure to click on "comments" below. 

We have loads more on this topic, particularly as the meaning of authenticity changes from visitor to visitor, it changes based on lifestage, and it changes based on gender and education.  We will be sharing more of this data at the AAM meeting in Denver as well in further articles on our blog.  So stay tuned!

Family Amenities Checklist

We all want to make our museums more enjoyable places to visit.  Providing amenities that make families (as well as other visitors) feel special and welcomed make a big difference in the overall museum experience. But what are those special amenities that museums can provide?  To find out, we put out a call on our blog to submit ideas for a family amenities checklist, and here is what were recommended. 

Overall: Museum should be clean and tidy.  This is especially important to the current generation of parents, and focus should be given to restrooms and food service areas. 

Restrooms / Nursing Areas

• Handicapped restrooms that can do double-duty as family restrooms
• Stools to help little one reach sinks
• Diaper changing stations (in family, men's, and women's restrooms)
• Seat in family restroom for buckling in young children while parent uses facilities
• Nursing rooms for private nursing (not a restroom)
• Stash of disposable diapers in case a visitor runs out
• Spare clean children's clothes . . . just in case

Food Service

• Designated place for snacks, inside and out (especially if there is no food service available)
  
• High chairs and booster seats
  
• Child-friendly menu options
• Peanut-free food preparation (including no peanut oil)

Exhibit Amenities

• Children's activity pages
• Interactives that involve small groups rather than one person
• Labels that use language parents use when talking to their children
• Outdoor trails and exhibits
• Family tracks on audio guides
• Stools to reach interactive components

Safety and Miscellaneous

• Small baggies with ice cubes in freezer (for bumps and bruises)
• Assorted bandages, etc.
• Covers for all electrical outlets
• No exposed cords
• All cleaning supplies secured
  
• Benches, lots of benches and seating (this is great for visitors of all ages!)
• Stroller loan

Expectant Moms - for special events, please keep in mind the dietary restrictions for pregnant women and ensure alternatives are available. 

• No cold cuts (meats should be steaming hot)
  
• No unpasteurized soft cheese
• No unpasteurized apple cider
• Some restrictions on meats with nitrates and/or nitrites
• Some restrictions on caffeine
• Some restrictions on seafood

While some of these items take time and effort, others are easy to accomplish in a very short period of time - and all go a long way to making families feel important to your museum.  A surprising number of parents will notice (and speak well of you to others) when you make this accommodation very visible...and notice when you don't.

Thanks to the following individuals and/or museums who contributed to this list:

Ken Bubp - Conner Prairie
Strong National Museum of Play
Connecticut Landmarks
Jeff Stern - Museum of Life and Science
Tricia O'Connor - The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
Noelle Foye - Fuller Craft Museum
Tracey Beck - American Swedish Historical Museum
Anne Arenstein - Taft Museum of Art
Susan Douglas - Discovery Museum of Sacramento

Word-of-Mouth Marketing

Every Friday morning, something special happens at a North Carolina museum.  Yes, up to 30 toddlers are learning, playing, and having a great time at the Children's Museum of Wilmington.  But Toddler Time is also parent time, as up to 30 parents are also interacting with their kids and each other.  These parents are supporting and learning from each other, as staff member Mary Ellen Boylan notes, but they are also undoubtedly participating in word-of-mouth marketing by talking about this great place, as well as other great places and products.  They also represent a huge opportunity for the museum to start a campaign each and every Friday.  But how?

In recent surveys of museums in New York, North Carolina, and Ohio by Reach Advisors, it is clear that word-of-mouth marketing is important to museums; the vast majority of museums surveyed engage in word-of-mouth marketing.  Few realize, however, that it is something that you can orchestrate and control, creating a big impact at relatively low cost.  How do you make that happen?  Here are five tips:

1. Determine who are your "Sneezers."  Just as in any other aspect of life, certain people are more inclined than others to vocalize their thoughts. You probably already know which of your members and visitors are well-connected in your community and have credibility.  They are not just your trustees and volunteers, but they are also the leaders of the local mom groups, civic organizations, and others that can influence the audiences that you do not know . . . but want.  You can determine your sneezers through market research or, if on a smaller budget, carefully monitoring how people hear about you - exactly who is most moved by word-of-mouth, what's the common message communicated, who spreads the word, and what attitudes and behaviors change.  Regardless of how you find your sneezers, the payout can be high.

2. Find out how your museum is different -- and whether it matters.  You may not have the biggest children's play area or the most priceless art, but your museum is unique.  Your task is to determine how you can differentiate your museum from a hundred other Saturday-afternoon options in the minds of your potential visitors, and then to make sure your programming fits their needs.  Once you do this, make sure your delivery exceeds their expectations -- and in a big way.  People do not rave about the average or expected, but they do talk about the unexpected and remarkable. Give them that hook to use to talk to their peers.  Key point: You have to deliver real and noticeable differentiation in the minds of your customers, and make it important enough for them to sell it to their friends.

3.  Create a "sneeze-worthy" brand message.  Not only must a museum give visitors something to talk about, but you also must provide the words with which to talk about it.  Author Seth Godin says that the right words are:  "A script for the sneezer to use when she talks to her friends.  The script reminds the customer, 'Here's why it's worth recommending us; here's why your friends will be glad you told them about us.'  And, best of all, the script guarantees that the word-of-mouth is passed along properly."  Make that message easy to pass on, whether by phone, face-to-face contact, or through e-mail.

4. Perhaps the best examples of effective scripting can be found in the discount airline business. When asked about JetBlue Airlines, most customers would answer with some variation of:  "It's cheap, cool and, hey, they have TV too."  The consistency of these customer comments isn't accidental; companies like JetBlue reinforce these "unofficial" scripts in their marketing communications and service delivery. 

5. Sometimes it takes blowing it. No museum likes to hear that a visitor has had a negative experience. But it is important to note that while in most cases a museum will never hear when a visitor or a member is dissatisfied, in our research we often find that 90% of respondents who had a disappointing experience at an attraction tell others.   And, on average, they told nine people! It is virtually guaranteed that a visitor who has a bad experience with your museum will also spread the word.  Train your staff to make sure that every problem is handled so that the visitor feels special and taken care of, and you can turn that into nine people told about a remarkable service recovery experience.

What is the bottom line?  Getting included in the personal interactions of your visitors and members is one of the most important hooks for getting someone to your museum. Word-of-mouth marketing gives you the credibility that advertising cannot buy, the market penetration that you might not be able to afford, and the inclusion in conversations that cannot be missed. It is up to museums, however, to figure out how to make it worthwhile for visitors to put their personal reputation at stake and spread the word.

Have questions about orchestrating your own word-of-mouth campaign?  Have you had great success utilizing word of mouth?  Please share your thoughts and questions with us!  Either post your thoughts by clicking on "comments" below, or send Susie Wilkening an e-mail at susie at reachadvisors dot com.  We would love to hear from you.

 

 

November E-news: Girl Power! Generation Y and the New Gender Gap

We are all familiar with the gender gap.  Today, on average, a woman working full time earns about 79% of what a man makes working full time. 

Well, that is about to change.  And in many cities, it already has.

From San Francisco to Boston, Washington to Minneapolis, Gen Y women are out-earning their male peers.  In Dallas, for example, the average woman in her 20s is earning $1.20 for every $1.00 her male peer earns. 

What is going on?

Simply put, young women today are significantly more likely to go to college than young men. In New York, almost 60% of women in their 20s have college degrees, compared with only 38% of their male counterparts.

We are now on course for women to be 1.5 times as likely to attain college degrees, and advanced degrees, than men.  That is a huge difference and, as one of our colleagues in the demographics field noted, if it continues men are going to relegated to "the role of pets." 

While men may never be truly in the pet role in households across America, these changes in earnings and education are staggering.  We believe that this disparity in education and earnings will continue the trend of women delaying marriage and child-bearing, which will have significant impact on how women spend their money, and how they allocate their discretionary time.  And these women, more than ever, will be purchasing homes on their own.  They will also have an even bigger say on household spending when they do marry or co-habitate. 

Museums will have some serious work to do to adapt to and respond to these changes in American society.

• What will museums do to attract single women as visitors?
• How will children's museums change to adapt to more shifts in the makeup and dynamics of families after Generation Y enters their peak child rearing years?
• Will development tactics and strategies change dramatically to encourage gifts from women?
• How will museums reach a generation of young adults that does not read the newspaper and thinks e-mail is antiquated?

At Reach Advisors, we love exploring these kinds of emerging shifts, particularly since the size and impact of this generation matches that of their Baby Boomer parents who changed the consumer landscape with each new life stage they entered.  This generation will transform our society, and ranging in age from about 14 to 28, they are about to enter their peak years of museum visitation.

So we are launching an internal research project aimed at drilling down on Generation Y, their needs and desires, how they communicate (and seek communication), lifestyle trends, and how they want to spend their leisure time. 

We would love your input on this project.  What are your big questions about Generation Y?  Is your museum preparing for them?  Do you have Gen Ys on staff who are already changing your museum?  What are your concerns and challenges with this generation of young adults? 

Please share your thoughts and questions with us! Either post your comments on our blog by clicking on "comments" below, or send Susie Wilkening an e-mail at susie at reachadvisors dot com.

We would love to hear from you.  And keep an eye out this spring as we begin to share some of what we learn.

October E-news: Diverse Audiences, Diverse Museums

We have been asked to share some of our previous research articles more broadly, and this blog is the perfect way to do so.  We will continue to archive our e-newsletters articles here so that you have the opportunity to share them, and comment back to us!

Over the past three issues we have explored visitation patterns of young families at science-based museums, history-based museums, art museums, and botanical gardens/arboretums.  This data, from a national survey of visitors and members of children's museums, has helped us shed light on why young families visit other types of museums, and when they do so over the course of the family life cycle.

Our research also asked these visitors and members what they thought about diversity in their museum and in their communities.  With nearly 5500 responses, we were able to analyze these responses by demographic characteristics, including education and race/ethnicity.  We expected the results to be interesting.  But the results were more than interesting.  They shed fascinating light on opinions of diversity, and presented some stark differences in how different groups think, or do not think, about the topic.

How important is diversity to a museum?

When it comes to children's museums, 66% of respondents felt that the museum was doing a good representing different races, cultures, and ethnicities.  An additional 28% were not sure, or had not noticed. We also asked respondents how important did they feel it is to expose their children to diversity. 65% of respondents said it was very important, 31% said somewhat important, and 4% said it was not important. 

We wanted to know how important it really was to these parents, so we looked to see how these different groups responded to other questions.  First, we found that the more important it was to the respondent, the more engaged they were with the children's museum.  That is, those who said it was very important were significantly more likely to visit more often, and donate, than those who said it was not important. 

But we had a hunch that those who said it was "somewhat" important in reality did not care one way or the other.  And when we compared their responses to those who felt it was very important, we found two absolutely stunning results.  Those who felt it was very important were 4.5 TIMES more likely to seek diverse populations, and 4.5 TIMES more likely to seek diverse and integrated communities.  Those are tremendous differences, telling us that those who said it was only somewhat important, really, did not care so long as diversity did not get in the way of their lives. 

Who feels strongly about diversity?

In determining who it was that felt so strongly about diversity in their community, and their museum, we discovered two key correlations:  the educational level and the race/ethnicity of the respondent. 

As seen in the graph below, with education the respondent was significantly more likely to seek to expose their children to diversity, and to seek a diverse and integrated community.  They were also less likely to say the museum was doing a good job exposing their child to diversity, not feeling that they were doing a bad job, but feeling that the museum could do more.

The other major factor was the race or ethnicity of the respondent, which, as seen in the graph below, made a tremendous difference in the responses.  African Americans were the most likely to want to expose their children to diversity, the most likely to seek diverse and integrated communities, and the most critical of how the museum deals with diversity.  Caucasians, on the other hand, felt significantly less strongly on all of these issues. Asian Americans and Hispanics fell in between.  It just was not as important an issue to Whites.

Why is this relevant?

Although there were major differences in responses to the diversity questions, we should not lose sight of a couple of important points. 

First, the majority of the core audience for children's museums feels strongly about exposing their children to diversity, and they look to museums of all kinds to help them do this.  We see this as a green light for museums of all types to continue to push to represent different races, cultures, and ethnicities in their programs, exhibits, and outreach efforts.

And second, the responses of African Americans, Asian Americans, and Hispanics, both on these questions and in their attendance patterns at other types of museums, tells us that while museums are working to attract diverse audiences, more needs to be done to truly reach and engage them on a personal, and regular, basis.

To learn more

This short article only scratches the surface of the research we conducted on this and related topics.  Please feel free to comment below with any additional questions or thoughts.  If you missed any of the earlier issues, examining young family visitation at science-based museums, history-based museums, or art museums and botanical gardens/arboretums, simply let us know.

September E-news: Family Visitation at Museums, Part III: Art Museums and Botanical Gardens/Arboretums

We have been asked to share some of our previous research articles more broadly, and this blog is the perfect way to do so.  We will continue to archive our e-newsletters articles here so that you have the opportunity to share them, and comment back to us!

 

This month we continue our series on family visitation at museums by focusing on art museums and botanical gardens/arboretums.  This research, based on a national audience survey of 5,500 museum-going families, was presented by Reach Advisors at the Association of Children's Museums conference this spring.  In this survey we asked what other types of museums parents and grandparents like to visit with their families, which gave us some insight on why they visit other museums, when they visit in the life stage of their family, and how museum-going behavior shifts among different racial and socio-economic groups. 

In part one of this series we investigated family museum visitation at science-based museums (e.g., science centers, natural history museums, and nature centers), and in part two we examined history museums and historic sites. 

Art Museums and Botanical Gardens/Arboretums:  Mixed Trends

Art museums and botanical gardens/arboretums were, in general, more popular than history-based museums and less popular than science-based museums.  50% of respondents reported visiting botanical gardens/arboretums, making it the fourth most popular museum type overall.  39% of respondents reported visiting art museums, making it the sixth most popular museum type.  When the data was further examined by age and demographic data, however, both promising and troubling trends were uncovered.

Family Life Cycle

Families love to visit museums, and the data quickly confirmed that the age of the oldest child was the principal factor in what types of museums families visit.

Art museums do fairly well with families whose oldest child is less than two, with nearly 41% of respondents visiting, making art museums the fifth most popular for these types of families.  But once that oldest child reaches two visitation drops to less than 35% (see graph below).  As the family gets older, however, families return to the art museum, with 44% of families whose oldest child is 8 or older reporting visits.   Yet this growth in visitation over time does not match the growth exhibited by most of the other types of museums; art museums fall from fifth to seventh most popular over the same period.  This means that while families are returning to art museums, they are visiting other types of museums even more. 

Botanical gardens and arboretums had a markedly different visitor pattern than any other type of museum; they were the only museum type to lose visitation consistently over the family life cycle.  Botanical gardens and arboretums are actually the second most popular museum type for families whose oldest child is under two, with 56% of respondents visiting.  By the time the oldest child is 8 or older, however, only 46% of families are visiting and it has fallen to sixth most popular. 

Grandparents

Overall, grandparents were more likely than parents to take children to other types of museums, and this was true for art museums and botanical gardens/arboretums.  For art museums, grandparents were significantly more likely to visit with their families - by 11 percentage points.  The difference for botanical gardens/arboretums drops to just 5 percentage points, but in both cases grandparents are a rather promising segment for both audience and membership growth.

Race & Ethnicity Matter

While the age of the oldest child in the family had the greatest impact on museum visitation, the likelihood of a visit could vary quite a bit among racial and ethnic groups responding.  Although 91% of the survey respondents were Caucasian (who therefore mirror the topline averages), with nearly 5500 total respondents, we were able to obtain statistically significant data on African Americans, Asian Americans, and Hispanics.

Art museums had fairly consistent visitation by race and ethnicity, with visitation hovering around 40% for all four groups (see graph below).  Caucasians were the least likely to visit, and African Americans the most likely (among this sample of museum-going families).

Botanical gardens and arboretums had quite different visitation rates, with Asian Americans showing a strong preference for these types of museums with over 56% visiting.  African Americans were the least likely to visit with only 44% reporting attendance.

Other Findings

For most museums, visitation increased with education, and this was true for botanical gardens/arboretums as well.  For art museums, however, the increase was far more dramatic than for other types of museums; those with advanced degrees are nearly 2.2 times more likely to visit than those with a high school degree (43.1% vs. 19.6%).  Additionally, art museums were the least favorite type of museum for those with only high school degrees.  This suggests that those with lower education are finding higher perceived barriers to entry at art museums than at other types of museums.

Visitors to art museums, however, were also the most open to issues of diversity in their community. When asked what traits were important to them in their community, respondents that visit art museums were the most likely - sometimes by a large margin - to identify a diverse population and a diverse and integrated community as being important.  Additionally, visitors to art museums felt most strongly that it was extremely important to expose their children to different races and cultures.  This suggests that art museums can continue and extend their work to use art to share the many different cultures of the world to their visitors.

Why Is This Relevant?

While art museums do ultimately exhibit visitation growth over the family life cycle, the dropoff in visitation when children reach ages 2 - 4 is worth examining more closely.  Some of the written-in comments exemplify some of the reasons why parents of pre-schoolers choose not to visit.   

• I once took my girls to the [major art museum] where we are members, but did not feel it was a place that was particularly welcoming to kids.
• We try to visit both kid-friendly places as well as more grown-up oriented places (like art museums) so they learn how to behave appropriately in adult situations.

These comments illustrate common perceptions among respondents that parents simply do not feel that art museums are the most age-appropriate venue for youngsters. In these examples, either the museum itself feels unwelcoming, or it is used as a place to model grown-up behavior.  Art museums that seek young family audiences would do well to find spaces for family creativity as one representative respondent captured by saying "Hands-on art activities are always a plus."

Botanical gardens and arboretums have a great opportunity to attract more young families as so many families do visit when their children are infants.  Their challenge is still great, however, as they must first retain, then extend their audiences.

Interestingly, one of the reasons parents cited for liking botanical gardens and arboretums is that they are perceived as being very clean. 

• I like botanical gardens because . . . I am not worried about germs because they do not involve play exhibits that many children play on in the course of a day.

Germs are dirty, while dirt is clean!  Additionally, botanical gardens and arboretums "help my children appreciate and connect to their natural environment," a big plus for a generation of parents that loves to take their children outdoors as much as possible. 

To learn more

This short article only scratches the surface of the research we conducted on this and related topics.  Please feel free to comment below with any additional questions or thoughts. Also, look for the October issue for the final installment of this series, focusing on race, ethnicity, issues of diversity, and museum visitation.

August E-news: Family Visitation at Museums, Part II: Historic Sites and History Museums

We have been asked to share some of our previous research articles more broadly, and this blog is the perfect way to do so.  We will continue to archive our e-newsletters articles here so that you have the opportunity to share them, and comment back to us!

This month we continue our series on family visitation at museums by focusing on historic sites and history museums.  This research, based on a national audience survey of 5,500 museum-going families, was presented by Reach Advisors at the Association of Children's Museums conference this spring.  In this survey, we asked what other types of museums parents and grandparents like to visit with their families, which gave us some insight on why they visit other museums, when they visit in the life stage of their family, and how museum-going behavior shifts among different racial and socio-economic groups. 

In part one of this series we investigated family museum visitation at science-based museums (e.g., science centers, natural history museums, and nature centers), and in September we will examine art museums, botanical gardens, and arboretums.

History Museums and Historic Sites:  The Gap with Families

First, the bad news.  History museums and historic sites showed the lowest popularity among the eight types of museums measured in this survey, with only 31% visiting historic sites and 23% visiting history museums. Additionally, for all demographic groups, history museums are the least popular.  Historic sites showed more variance in this measure, sometimes rising as high as the fifth most popular, but the majority of the time they ranked seventh.  Simply put, families are choosing to visit other museum types over historic sites and history museums.  But there are some silver linings and promising trends within the data.

Family Life Cycle

Families love to visit museums, and the data quickly confirmed that the age of the oldest child was the principal factor in what types of museums families visit.  But when children are very young, families are choosing other types of museums over historic sites and history museums.

Visitation at history-based museums remains stubbornly low . . . until the oldest child enters elementary school when visitation rises dramatically (see graph below).  History-based museums had the greatest rise in visitation during the family life cycle of all the museum types, doubling their attendance rate.  While history museums remain the least popular in families where the oldest child is eight or older, it almost catches up to many of the other types of museums, and historic sites rise to fifth most popular overall in this age group.

Grandparents

Overall, grandparents were more likely than parents to take children to other types of museums, but the difference in visitation between these groups for history-based museums was stunning.  Grandparents were far, far more likely to visit history-based museums than parents - by a margin of nearly 20 percentage points - making them a terrific target audience, and membership prospect, for these types of museums.

Race Matters

Although history-based museums were the least popular types of museums among families of all races, the likelihood of a visit varied quite a bit among racial groups responding.  While 91% of the survey respondents were Caucasian (who therefore mirror the topline averages), with nearly 5500 total respondents, we were able to obtain statistically significant data on African Americans, Asian Americans, and Hispanics.

Historic sites were most popular with Caucasians, with nearly a third visiting them.  Additionally, over a quarter Hispanics and African Americans visit historic sites.  Asian Americans are the least likely to visit, with just over a fifth reporting attendance (see graph below).

History museums had less attendance than historic sites, but African American and Hispanic museum-goers are the most likely to visit, with just over a quarter visiting.  Nearly a quarter of Caucasians visit history museums, while not even a fifth of Asian Americans survey respondents visit.

The relatively low attendance of Asian Americans at history-based museums initially surprised us.  But when considering the geographic distribution of Asian Americans, which is heavier in the West Coast than elsewhere in the country, the discrepancy became more clear  since that region has a lower density of history-based museums than other regions of the country.

Although we did not quite have statistically significant data on American Indians, the responses of this racial group were intriguing and may begin to shed light on their museum visitation patterns.  While historic sites and history museums were still the least popular types of museums to visit, American Indians visited them in far greater numbers than other racial groups, with 46% visiting historic sites and 36% visiting history museums.  Further research may indicate a higher degree of engagement with these types of museums among American Indians. 

Education and Income

We typically find that museum visitation increases with education and income.  But this was not true for history-based museums.  Visitation actually peaked when parents only had some college (see graph below).

Similarly, visitation by those of lower income was higher than for those of higher income, roughly mirroring the visitation trend by education.  It was a pleasant surprise that history-based museums have lower perceived barriers of entry for those with less education and income. 

Other Findings

Overall, the gender of the respondent was not a significant factor in this survey.  But when it came to visitation at history museums, it was significant.  Males were much more likely to take their families to history museums than females, 34% vs. 22%.  Additionally, males were slightly more likely to visit historic sites.  Although history-based museums were still the least popular for both genders, it seems that history-based museums have more work to do in attracting women and their families.

Why Is This Relevant?

Clearly, history-based museums are struggling to reach young family audiences.  Although written-in comments did not shed light on why they tend not to visit, some comments provided an indication that helps us determine what is appealing about history-based museums:

• "We especially enjoy live performances and demonstrations at many museums, especially living history sites."
• "It broadens their experiences and can bring history to life. It's one thing to read about it in a book but, another to see, touch, feel and experience it."

It seems to all go back to creating an authentic, hands-on, active experience for families. Historic sites, where history really happened, are uniquely positioned to create those authentic experiences in a way that many other types of museums simply cannot.  History museums also possess one-of-a-kind objects that can fascinate and inspire when presented in an active, participatory way.  Continued work to create and promote those active experiences will help history-based museums better serve young family audiences. 

Finally, families are clearly waiting to visit history-based museum until their oldest child is in school, and likely starting to learn basic history lessons.  Age appropriateness seems to be the primary factor in making decisions about visiting museums, and history-based museums will likely find that concentrating their efforts on attracting families with grade-school children will reap greater rewards than trying to attract families with younger children.   

To learn more

This short article only scratches the surface of the research we conducted on this or related topics.  Please feel free to comment below with any additional questions or thoughts. Also, look for the September issue to explore family visitation patterns at art museums, botanical gardens, and arboretums.

July E-news: Family Visitation at Museums, Part I: Science Centers, Natural History Museums, and Nature Centers

We have been asked to share some of our previous research articles more broadly, and this blog is the perfect way to do so.  We will continue to archive our e-newsletters articles here so that you have the opportunity to share them, and comment back to us!

Most museums seek family audiences, yet many museums are struggling to reach families . . . families that have increasing demands on their time and wallets.

This spring Reach Advisors asked nearly 5500 parents and grandparents what types of museums they visit with their families.  This research, from a study of children's museum visitors and members presented to the Association of Children's Museums (ACM), tells us what types of museums they visit, when they visit in the life stage of their family, and begins to inform us of some differences in museum-going behavior among different racial groups. 

In part one of this series we investigate family museum visitation at science-based museums (e.g., science centers, natural history museums, and nature centers).  In August, we will examine history museums and historic sites, and in September we will examine art museums and botanical gardens and arboretums.  Zoos and aquariums, with 95% penetration of the children's museum visitor market, mirrored topline survey averages (to request a copy of the presentation laying out some of the topline results, please e-mail susie@reachadvisors.com).

Museum-Going Families:  Affluent, and Well-Educated

Respondents to the ACM visitor and member survey tended to be Caucasian, affluent, and well-educated.  Indeed, the typical respondent was a Caucasian mom in her 30s with at least one pre-school child, a college education, and an income above the national average. 

Family Life Cycle

Families love to visit museums, and science-based museums are among their favorites.  These families are looking for opportunities to learn together in a fun environment, and science-based museums serve that role quite well, especially when families grow out of children's museums. 

The data quickly confirmed that the age of the oldest child was the principal factor in what types of museums families visit.  For all three types of museums examined in this article, visitation shoots up once that oldest child reaches grade school (see graph below).

 

Science centers were consistently the 2nd favorite museum type among family audiences (zoos and aquariums were the favorite).  In written-in responses, parents valued science centers for their interactive exhibits and for their educational value.  There was a strong sense that science centers did a good job stimulating all the members of the family.

Nature centers were also appealing to this generation of parents that loves the outdoors.  Parents are seeking opportunities to learn about and explore the outdoors with their children -  things that nature centers do very well.

Natural history museums also grew in popularity, with the animal displays receiving many comments.  Additionally, as one parent put it, "they have dinosaurs." 

Grandparents

If parents love to take their children to museums, grandparents love it even more.  While science centers were popular with both parents and grandparents, grandparents were far more likely to visit nature centers and natural history museums - by a margin of 10 percentage points - making them a terrific target audience, and membership prospect, for these types of museums.

Race Matters

Although science-based museums were popular with all racial groups responding, how popular each type was depended a great deal on the race of the respondent.  Although 91% of respondents were Caucasian (who therefore mirror the topline averages), with nearly 5500 total respondents we were able to obtain statistically significant data on African Americans, Asian Americans, and Hispanics. 

For all races, visitation at science centers was fairly consistent, as seen in the graph below.

Nature centers, however, presented more varied data.  Overall, nature centers were the 3^rd most popular museum type.  Hispanics followed the topline average, but nature centers fell to 5^th most popular, indicating that Hispanics enjoy nature centers, but enjoy other types of museums more.  Asian Americans and African Americans were less likely to visit, and like Hispanics, were more likely to prefer other types of museums. 

Overall, natural history museums were the 5^th most popular museum type.  As seen in the graph, however, Hispanics were the group most likely to visit natural history museums. 

So while all three science-based museums had a strong showing among the racial groups analyzed, visitation and relative popularity could vary significantly.

Other Findings

Overall, the gender of the respondent was not a significant factor in this survey.  But when it came to visitation at natural history museums, it was significant.  Males were much more likely to take their families to natural history museums than females, 51.7% vs. 41.2%.  Additionally, males ranked natural history museums 3rd favorite, while women ranked them 5th.  Women therefore tend to choose other types of museums over natural history museums.   

How the respondent felt about diversity significantly affected visitation as well.  That is, respondents who felt it was extremely important to expose their children to different races, cultures, and ethnicities were much more likely to visit science-based museums than those who felt it was only somewhat, or not at all, important.  With most visitation coming from individuals who care strongly about diversity, that tells us that museums can continue to work to expose their visitors to issues of diversity in their exhibits and programming.

Why is this relevant?

So what have we learned about family visitation at science-based museums?  First, families appear to see science-based museums as the natural "next step" after children's museums.  These museums are typically highly interactive, providing excitement, learning, and fun for all ages.  They also tend to wait to visit until their oldest child is learning about science in school, when they begin visiting in droves.  Finally, the importance of nature centers and natural history museums varies significantly among different racial groups, giving us some indication of where more work needs to be done to attract diverse audiences. 

To learn more

This short article only scratches the surface of the research we conducted on this topic.  Please feel free to comment below with any additional questions or thoughts.   Also, look for the August e-newsletter to explore family visitation at history museums and historic sites, and the September issue to explore art museums and botanical gardens and arboretums.