The Room(s) Where It Happened ...
Here's something that museums can give you that Artificial Intelligence or Virtual Reality can't touch -- the literal "room where it happened."
As someone who was born and raised in Detroit, it was incredibly powerful to stand inside "Studio A" at the Motown Museum, where amazing musicians like Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, and Marvin Gaye created their hits.
There's something interesting in visiting a place and feeling, if not exactly the "ghosts" of the past, at least the "spirit" of the people who passed that way before you. I have felt that way while visiting Graceland and the Mark Twain House, as well as in very particular outdoor locations, such as the Old North Bridge in Concord, Massachusetts. There was something very evocative in all of those spots --- almost as if each one of those spaces had a "personality."
One of the best things I've ever heard said about the original Exploratorium was that it felt like you'd walked into Frank Oppenheimer's workshop after he just stepped outside for a minute. The feeling that real people, with real interests and foibles, have created something for you to experience is one of the most powerful, and most authentic, of museum experiences.
This authentic museum "spirit" is not something that just casually occurs or manifests itself through some sort of formulaic exhibit development process. But when all the elements of such a museum experience come together, they form something that really cannot occur in any other medium.
Paul Orselli writes the posts on ExhibiTricks. Paul likes to combine interesting people, ideas, and materials to make exhibits (and entire museums!) with his company POW! (Paul Orselli Workshop, Inc.) Let's work on a project together!
If you enjoy the blog, you can help keep it free to read and free from ads by supporting ExhibiTricks through our PayPal "Tip Jar"
