By Janet Adegboye

Museum is an institution that preserves and interpret the material evidence of human race and activities, the environment and the natural world, keeping the unique items that constitutes that material of study and research. Collections in the museum communicate itself directly to the viewers in a way that is impossible  through other media. Museums are powerful instrument of education which keeps collections, objects of artistic, historical and scientific interest, cultural and natural heritage, conserving and displaying them for the edification and enjoyment of the public. The good knowledge of the past builds our pride and confidence in the present world and the future.

Purpose of the Museum

Museum serves as an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of culture and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among people, nation, ethnic and above all keeping the memories of today for the use of tomorrow. It serves as recreation centers, scholarly avenues, educational resource centers to contribute to the quality of life of the area where it is located, attract tourism to the region and promote civil pride. The Museum is obviously committed to the public who either visit the museum to learn or the museum is taken to them in form of Museum outreach program.

Visitors expectations

Visitors to the museum expect to leave with new knowledge, stunning visual memories that will inspire them to learn and create. They expect to have memorable experience that will inspire them to revisit the museum again. Visitors want to acquire a lasting impression that will spark discussion with their friends and family or on social media which in turn help to direct more people to visit the museum.

They want to see in reality objects they have been seeing in books or on the screen, have desires for authenticity as well as looking for alternative form of communication. Their expectations are not fully met in the museum without collective experience of the museum as a suitable space and broadening their knowledge.Visitors desire to have unexpected experience like meeting new friends, meeting someone special, seeing artefacts that changes their thinking, having new discovery and arousing curiosity for new discovery. When most of all these are achieved, museum visitors are said to have had experience which remain unforgettable in their memories.

Factors contributing to memorable museum experience

Three major factors that contribute to having a memorable experience in the Museum are: the visitors, museum collections and the museum environment.

The visitors- The choice and decision of the visitors coming to the museum is a prominent factors in achieving a memorable experience in the Museum. The purpose of visiting, the duration, time and choice of the visitors will determine the type of experience they will have in the museum. To have a lifetime experience, visitors should consider  the following guidelines.

a. Visit the museum that interest or meet your needs alone. It is meaningless to visit any museum just for visiting sake. Make enquiry first about the type of exhibition and the facilities available before you decide on which museum to be visited. Spending many hours to visit a museum will only be justified if it impact meaningfully on you than visiting a nearby museum just for sight seeing.

b.Visit when there is an event going on in the museum. Museum oftentimes organises regular events like opening of new exhibition, international museum day, international monument day, cultural fiesta, children’s day celebration or other informative and entertaining events. Visiting the museum on such days make the experience come memorable.

c. Focus your attention on an interesting aspect of a culture or topic. E.g dressing,costume, food, indigenous technology, traditional architecture, communication, trade, currency e.t.c. When the education officers are given prior notice, the visitors will be taken directly to the relevant gallery and this makes the experience more detailed and memorable than when the whole galleries are visited at once.

d.Demand for a tour guide- Oftentimes, visitors come to the museum individually, as family or organized group and tour round the exhibit on their own reading through the text. This sometimes makes the tour so boring, time consuming and uninteresting. To make a more sense of the tour, visitors should opt for a guide who is knowledgeable and experienced enough to explain to them what they are looking at. The guide knows the interesting facts and stories that can help you understand better, personalise and appreciate the information and make your tour interesting.

e. Write down notes.it is often better to write down notes on what you see or hear rather than just roaming about in a distracted manner. This will enable you to focus attention on what you are seeing and retain information thereby giving you a memorable museum experience and make time spent worthwhile.

f. Make a game out of your visit. Games are great and effective tools for learning in museum exhibition both for children and adults alike.It fosters wonderful sense of connection between the visitors and the collections. It also spur visitors to challenge themselves based on the gallery experience. For instance, one can pick some historical objects in the gallery and trace how many interesting facts can be found on it, take a quick spy on their features, colours, origin, local name ant try to memorise them. This helps to store information and the image of the object in ones memory.

g. Make plans to explore further. Avoid seeing all the object on exhibition at a brief glance. Focus attention on a particular section and leave the rest for another visit. This will enable you to put what you have learnt into practice and explore further. You can make a simple painting of your experience and hang it’s in your room for record purpose.

2. Museum collections. Another factor contributing to memorable museum experience is the quality of Museum collections. Museum collections vary in material, functions and are systematically collected. Ethnographic collections in museum are wooden material, metal and beaded material, pottery, cane and leather, bronze, costume, Calabash, animal skin, household utensils. Others include currency e.g cowries, manilla, sea shells, paper money and coins.

One of the major reason for these collections is for education which is aimed at educating, informing and serving the cultural interest of the people. Museum collections are displayed systematically in the exhibition gallery for visitors to view and learn from. The quality of the exhibition be it temporary, permanent, mobile or traveling will determine the value or satisfaction visitors will derive from it. Visitors learn from collections in the exhibition through observation, examination of it’s features, it’s construction, functions and value. Doing this with the help of experienced museum guide will make visitors have meaningful and memorable experience.

Other things that can accompany learning through the collections are exhibition literature like captions, label, exhibition guide, catalogue, reproduction, slides, postcards, recorded commentaries e.t.c.

Oral literature, drama, role play, folktales, poetry, music, dance and other educational activities in relation to Museum collections contribute to achieving a memorable museum experience

3. Museum Environment. The environment of the museum contributes 9 a great deal in achieving memorable museum experience by visitors.The environment provided by the museum will awaken visitors urge for discovery , invention and enhances acquisition of great knowledge. Museum visitors learn as a result of experience which is only apparent later in life. Though they Oftentimes visit the museum with limited opportunity for long term evaluation of museum experience, nevertheless, the environment provided an avenue for quality learning and memorable experience. A good  museum environment provides leisure, pleasure and entertainment for visitors and awaken all their senses. Providing a welcoming, friendly and hospitable environment in the museum will enhance visitors memorable experience. The visitors should be engaged from the entrance point with a welcoming sign by staff. A clear signage and video monitors showing highlights of what museum offer are essential. An interactive space in the museum using interactive technology like motion sensor, touch screen sensitivity that gives answers to visitors questions, robot responding to command, V.R headsets, using virtual reality and all environmental tools that enhances memorable experience.

Creating a centre for discussion e.g activity or meeting room to promote educational topics as well as space in the gallery where visitors can take selfies enhance not only visitors memorable experience but also link the museum to a larger audience.

Other environmental factors that enhance visitors memorable experience are availability of relevant museum facilities like craft village where visitors can visit to view see the various aspects of our indigenous technology, the museum kitchen where visitors can see and eat various indigenous cousins which they don’t have access to at home, hall and auditorium where they can view different activities, library ( a good educational resource part of the museum) where books and museum literature are accessed to build knowledge and recreational centers where visitors can play and relax after gallery tour. All these will no doubt enhance memorable visitors experience.

The expertise and attitude of the education officers or other staff attending to the visitors will also determine the type of experience the visitors will have. A good, friendly, humorous and positive attitude of the officers in charge will contribute to the good experience of Museum visitors. Education officers should provide activities that engaged the visitors. E.g dressing up in the character of a prominent individual or a story in the exhibition, asking questions that allow them to look, hands on activities and encouraging them to go round the exhibition severally while focusing attention on different things and write down their questions.

Conclusion

Enhancing and creating memorable visitor’s experience is very important to Nigeria museum’s reputation and future success. Our Museums and facilities will become more valued by the community and benefactors once the good news is spread about the great experience museum offers.

Adegboye writes from National Museum Akure.