Museum film as a means of making museums: the Exploratorium's early years through the intermedial lens.

Purpose – Providing visitors with excellent experience is a key challenge faced by digital museum development. However, the dimensionality of visitor experience in digital museums is under-explored, and there is a scarcity of survey scales for measuring multiple dimensions of visitor experience in digital museums. This study aimed to explore the dimensionality of visitor experience in digital museums and develop a survey scale for measuring multiple dimensions of visitor experience in digital museums.Design/methodology/approach – This study adopted a mixed method by interviewing 12 digital museum visitors and implemented a questionnaire survey with 982 visitors. The qualitative data was analysed using a thematic analysis technique while the quantitative data was analysed based on exploratory factor (EFA) analysis and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).Findings – Based on qualitative results, this study developed a new dimension model for visitor experience in digital museums based on interview research that consists of five experience dimensions: technological, social, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral experience. Accordingly, this study also designed a specialized survey scale to measure these five dimensions. The scale’s validity and reliability were verified and purified. This new scale can be used by future survey research on digital museums from a visitor perspective.Originality/value – This is the first study that empirically explored the dimensionality of visitor experience in digital museums. The study also developed a first survey scale specifically for measuring multiple dimensions of visitor experience in digital museums.

As the cultural importance of universities continues to grow, university museums have become key platforms for promoting university heritage and values. However, enhancing the visitor experience in these museums remains challenging. This study examines the effectiveness of smellscape in enhancing the visitor experience in university history museums, with a focus on how various scents impact visitors’ emotions. Using the Fuzhou University History Museum as a case study, the museum was divided into three distinct zones: the Historical Evolution Zone (HEZ), the Contemporary Development Zone (CDZ), and the Thematic Exhibition Zone (TEZ). Specific scents were selected for each area to evaluate their emotional impact, and data were gathered using electroencephalography (EEG) indicators, emotional questionnaires, and scent pleasure scales. The results indicated that calming scents like sandalwood and agarwood, used in the HEZ, convey a sense of historical depth but may also evoke negative emotions, whereas sage enhances positive feelings. In the CDZ, rosemary and mint significantly improve emotional states, while lemongrass exhibits weaker pleasantness and appears less suited for this area. In the TEZ, scents such as patchouli and orange blossom align well with future-oriented themes, demonstrating high levels of pleasantness and emotional value. Smellwalk interviews further validated the experimental results, revealing notable differences in the emotional impact of smellscape across different exhibit zones. A thoughtful selection of scents can enhance the cultural expression of spaces and effectively regulate visitors’ emotional experiences, strengthening the cultural resonance of museum environments. Future designers may consider incorporating olfactory elements into landscape design.

This article reviews empirically oriented studies from the United States and Europe concerning visitor experiences in museum exhibitions in order to pinpoint similarities and differences among them. In the last 20 years, only a few scholars have tackled this research question in multifaceted empirical ways, although some of them have done so extensively. By comparing theoretical and methodical issues, as well as important results, we are able to outline several analytical building blocks that compose a complex framework of visitor expectations, experiences, and outcomes. Gathering credible data on experiences of visitors in exhibitions or museums, a method dating back to the tracking records of Robinson (1928), is an ongoing challenge for the empirically inclined science of museum studies. Social scientists at universities and museums have been asking for 20 years: What are the findings regarding factors, structures, and consequences of exhibition experiences? Where are the blind spots? Which questions should be researched?

This paper demonstrates the value of edutainment and authenticity when managing the visitor experience and satisfaction with a service. The study concentrates on the specific type of services that are provided by museums. Drawing on the social cognitive theory, the paper explores the relationship between edutainment (defined as the combination of education and entertainment provided through interactive content) and the three components of the perceived authenticity of museum visitor experience, 1) the museum, 2) the visitor, 3) the materials. Including edutainment and hedonic expectations as antecedents, with satisfaction as an outcome, the paper proposes a new model of perceived authenticity of visitor experience. The model was tested on a sample of 313 museum visitors (in Croatia). The results revealed that edutainment (as a second-order construct) positively influences perceived authenticity. Also, hedonic expectations positively influence one out of three components of perceived authenticity of museum visitor experience, i.e. self-authenticity of the visitor, but there was no influence on the other two components – museum and materials. Finally, perceived authenticity positively influences visitor satisfaction. Our research provides useful insights to museum managers and service managers in general who should consider using edutainment as a strategic approach to managing the visitor experience and satisfaction.

Mobile technologies such as multimedia guides (MMGs) are now an important part of the visitor experience in museums and other cultural spaces. We report the development of two scales to measuring visitors’ museum experiences: the Museum Experience Scale (MES) and the Multimedia Guide Scale (MGS); these quantitative measures can helpfully complement qualitative information about visitor experience. A standard psychometric methodology was used in the development of these scales: from a large set of potentially relevant statements, 57 were chosen and 255 people rated a museum experience (102 of whom had used a multimedia guide). A Principal Components analysis yielded a four factor solution for the MES (Engagement, Knowledge/Learning, Meaningful Experience and Emotional Connection) and a three factor solution for the MMGS (General Usability, Learnability and Control, Quality of Interaction). Comparing respondents who used a MMG during their museum visit with those who did not, there was a significant difference on the Engagement component of the MES, with respondents who used a MMG being significantly more engaged. The other components of the MES did not show significant differences.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the main factors contributing to museum experience and assess the differences in museum experience perceptions of domestic and foreign tourists. Furthermore, examining the relationship between museum visit experience and overall satisfaction for the domestic and foreign tourists is another purpose of the paper.Design/methodology/approachData collection was conducted using the convenience sampling method. The on-site survey was carried out with the participation of domestic and foreign tourists visiting Antalya Historical and Archaeological Museum in Turkey.FindingsAnalysis of data from 151 domestic and 151 foreign tourists visiting to Antalya Historical and Archaeological Museum indicated that edutainment, comfort, escape and aesthetic are the underlying dimensions of museum experience. The aesthetic dimension was identified as the most important aspect of the museum visit experience. In addition, museum visit perceptions of the domestic and foreign tourists and overall satisfactions with their visit were found to be different from each other.Originality/valueThe findings of this study provide a better understanding of the museum experience from the domestic and foreign tourists’ perspectives. Furthermore, the paper presents a novel and integrated approach to investigate tourist experiences in the extending museum experience literature.

Purpose– This paper aims to investigate the authenticity concept and its antecedents and consequences within the context of museums.Design/methodology/approach– A higher-order scale of authenticity is developed and then tested for reliability and validity using a sample of museum visitors. To investigate authenticity in a model with two antecedents and two outcomes, an additional data set was collected. Hypotheses were tested using structural equation modelling.Findings– The results show that perceived authenticity of the museum, the visitor and the materials in the museum are dimensions of perceived authenticity, resonating with Bal’s (1996) research in this area. Findings also confirm that consumer scepticism and expectations are antecedents to perceived authenticity of the visitor experience in museums, and that perceived authenticity in turn affects visitor satisfaction and perceived corporate hypocrisy.Practical implications– This research provides a framework for museums to manage visitors’ perceptions of authenticity, and to plan and design exhibits accordingly.Originality/value– Our research, set in the museum context, articulates the basis of perceived authenticity, its antecedents and outcomes. This study sets the foundation for research to further explore how perceived authenticity interacts with other constructs relevant to consumption.

This study identified research trends, intellectual connections, and social connections in the field of museum visitor experiences. It also outlines future research to understand existing scientific research and shed light on key areas of research. The study reviewed 407 articles published in peer-reviewed journal articles, which were generated from the Scopus database. Bibliometric analysis software VOSviewer and Harzing POP were used. Citation analysis, co-authorship analysis, bibliometric coupling, and co-occurrence analysis have been employed. Findings highlight the need for increased representation from scholars in the Global South to ensure a more inclusive and comprehensive understanding of museum visitors’ experiences worldwide. Nine key research areas for future studies were identified: sustainability, mixed reality, social media, accessibility, emotion, co-creation, interpretation, exhibition, and museum visitors’ experience and engagement. The results benefit stakeholders and researchers by allowing them to stay informed about the latest developments and breakthroughs in the global academic landscape and visitors’ experiences in museums.

The IPB Museum, located on the Darmaga Campus of IPB University, serves as a platform to showcase its rich history, developments, and future aspirations. University museums are vital institutions, embracing innovation and fostering communities of knowledge. Previous research emphasizes the impact of visitor experience on satisfaction and loyalty, highlighting the advantages of interactive technologies in museums for improved engagement and education. Evaluating technology's impact is crucial, and this study utilizes The Museum Tourism Experience and Experiential Value questionnaire to provide a baseline measurement and benchmark for future interventions, enabling a comprehensive evaluation of technology's impact on visitor experiences and satisfaction. In this study, 103 undergraduate students from the User Experience Design Course were invited to visit the IPB Museum to assess their experience using The Museum Tourism Experience and Experiential Value (MTEEV) questionnaire, which evaluates five aspects of the visitor experience. The students completed the questionnaire both before and after their visit, aiming to measure the impact of the museum visit on their perception and evaluate the effectiveness of the IPB Museum. The museum received lower ratings in visual appeal, entertainment, escapism, willingness to pay more, and imaginary vividness compared to visitors' past experiences, indicating potential areas for improvement to enhance the overall visitor experience. Lastly, we present our participatory strategy using MBKM and the capstone program to improve the museum experience.
 
 

ABSTRACTThis article discusses how museums relate to their visitors. It introduces three interpretive categories to summarize the ways that museums view their visitors: as Strangers, Guests, or Clients. Strangers: This attitude arises when the museum maintains that its primary responsibility is to the collection and not to the public. Guests: From this point of view, the museum wants to “do good” for visitors primarily through “educational” activities. Clients: In this attitude the museum believes that its primary responsibility is to be accountable to the visitor. This article suggests that social trends will force museums to treat visitors as clients. Institutions will then acknowledge that visitors have needs, expectations, and wants that the museum is obligated to understand and meet. Also discussed are four major categories of experiences that individuals find most satisfying in museums: (1) Social experiences center on one or more other people, besides the visitor; (2) Object experiences give prominence to the artifact or the “real thing”; (3) Cognitive experiences emphasize the interpretive or intellectual aspects of the experience; and (4) Introspective experiences focus on the visitor's personal reflections, usually triggered by an object or a setting in the museum. The categories are based on empirical research conducted in different Smithsonian museums. The article concludes with a brief discussion of museum settings, or “servicescapes,” that support or detract from the experiences of visitors.

This study presents a philosophical reconceptualisation of museums using phenomenological frameworks. It explores the role extended reality (XR) “things” play in the museum experience and studies how their function differs from traditional objects. Existing studies highlight the technological tools, solutions and various visitor experience modalities in the museum sector. However, only a few papers focus on the theoretical aspects of using XR in museums. This empirical study adopts a qualitative research methodology, and 22 semi-structured interviews with specialists in XR design and development, museum culture, curation and museum exhibitions are conducted. The findings suggest that XR enhances museum curation and exhibition practices by providing new dimensions for interacting with museum objects. This aligns with Heidegger’s “the thing” and “fourfold” concepts—the integration of mortals (i.e., museum visitors), earth (i.e., the activities participated in by the visitors), sky (i.e., the potentialities and ideas stimulated by the artefacts) and divinities (i.e., the visitors’ emotions while interacting with the exhibits). Therefore, these new interactions, enabled by XR, can accentuate the narratives attached to and the meaning of the artefacts within the digital museum space, facilitating new understandings and relationships with history due to the digitisation of objects. Furthermore, this can potentially impact XR’s use in developing multi-channel curation and multi-sensory visitor experiences in museums and cultural heritage institutions.

Innovation through Visitor Experience in Museums: The Case of the Lascaux Caves

Guest books are acknowledged as a means of public dialogue and have been used as a source of information regarding visitor experiences in museums. The current paper focuses on an exploratory case study, namely the experiences visitors have at the Iron Gates Hydro-electrical power plant in Romania. According to the classification of Pekaric et.al. 1999 and using the entries in the visitor books for 12 months, the study highlights the fact that while Object experinces are dominant, there is no doubt that for quite many visitors, there is a feeling of pride and ownership obvious in their short narratives.

This paper explores the challenges of enhancing visitor experience in museums during digital transformation, especially the lack of personalization and real-time interaction. To address this issue, this paper designs and applies a smart device ‘Museum Mate’, which integrates AR glasses, headset and physiological monitoring wristband. Through literature review, case studies and design optimization proposals, the study explores how smart devices and interactive design can enhance visitor experience and optimize exhibition management. The results show that ‘Museum Mate’ significantly enhances visitor engagement through three major innovations, firstly, personalized itinerary planning based on real-time behavioral data and physiological responses, which improves the dynamic adaptability of the exhibition; secondly, AR technology superimposes virtual information on physical exhibits, providing a platform for multi-dimensional information display; thirdly, the data-driven feedback mechanism enables real-time optimization of the visitor experience and exhibition management. The final conclusion is that ‘Museum Mate’ provides important support for museum digitization in terms of personalization, interactivity and data management, and provides valuable insights for future museum strategic planning.

The capture and analysis of diverse data is widely recognized as being vital to the design of new products and services across the digital economy. We focus on its use to inspire the co-design of visitor experiences in museums as a distinctive case that reveals opportunities and challenges for the use of personal data. We present a portfolio of data-inspired visiting experiences that emerged from a 3-year Research Through Design process. These include the overlay of virtual models on physical exhibits, a smartphone app for creating personalized tours as gifts, visualizations of emotional responses to exhibits, and the data-driven use of ideation cards. We reflect across our portfolio to articulate the diverse ways in which data can inspire design through the use of ambiguity, visualization, and inter-personalization; how data inspire co-design through the process of co-ideation, co-creation, and co-interpretation; and how its use must negotiate the challenges of privacy, ownership, and transparency. By adopting a human perspective on data, we are able to chart out the complex and rich information that can inform design activities and contribute to datasets that can drive creativity support systems.