Open Forum

 View Only

  • 1.  Best Time to Offer Tours - Small Museum

    Posted 05-01-2023 02:31 PM

    Small Museum seeking advice on the best times to offer tours (walking and house museum) during our Wednesday - Friday 11-4PM open hours? Is there any data out there that suggests optimal offering?   



    ------------------------------
    Deirdre Anderson
    Executive Director
    Hingham Historical Society
    Hingham MA
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Best Time to Offer Tours - Small Museum

    Posted 05-02-2023 10:32 AM

    I don't have any data on this, but if you're only window to choose from is weekday, 11 to 4, I'd suggest "lunch time" - noon - and suggest that working people could use a lunch break to take the tour. 
    We're also a small museum, and we've had a good showing at early afternoon weekend tours (Saturday or Sunday at 1 or 2pm).



    ------------------------------
    Dawn Salerno
    Executive Director
    Rotch-Jones-Duff House and Garden Museum
    New Bedford MA
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Best Time to Offer Tours - Small Museum

    Posted 05-03-2023 08:44 AM

    Some time ago, the Hyannis (or Hyannis Port) Historical Society led walking tours during weekday, daytime hours.  You might reach out to them to see if they have stats.



    ------------------------------
    Vivian Zoe
    Executive Director, retired
    Gales Ferry CT
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Best Time to Offer Tours - Small Museum

    Posted 05-03-2023 06:27 AM

    Hi Deirdre, John Veverka decades ago did a very interesting study on when AND what kind of personal interpretation to offer. The result led to a new combination and timewise arrangement. Thus, ask you visitors :-)
    best regards,
    Lars



    ------------------------------
    Lars Wohlers PhD
    Founder and Owner of Interpretive Planning, Training, and Visitor Studies Company KON-TIKI
    Heiligenthal
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Best Time to Offer Tours - Small Museum

    Posted 05-04-2023 09:01 AM
    When I was at a Cape historical society, we spent a summer doing them at different times and found that out of town people liked mid-week mornings (after a few days of beaching, they were ready for a break) while locals preferred Friday afternoons and weekend mid-day (which out of towners did not like as Saturdays are switch-over days so they either just arrive and miss it or on their way home). So you need to either experiment as we did or if time is an issue, ask---- use your social media and e-mail list.

    Pamela


    Pamela Feltus
    Director of Development
    The House of the Seven Gables 



    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Best Time to Offer Tours - Small Museum

    Posted 05-11-2023 07:19 AM

    Hi Deirdre

    Why not offer tours anytime - create an audio guide which visitors can use their own smart phones to access and listen to. We can help you with this. Let me know if you think you may be interested. 



    ------------------------------
    Shalini Bansal
    Co-Founder
    Museums22 by Desiwalks Tours Private Limited
    Mumbai
    shalini.bansal@museums22.com
    (+91) 9818375642
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Best Time to Offer Tours - Small Museum

    Posted 05-15-2023 12:27 PM
    Edited by Tiffany Meng 05-15-2023 12:27 PM

    Years ago, we implemented "Tuesday Tour Day" after realizing that Tuesdays were our slowest day of the week.  We offer a public tour every Tuesday at 1pm that's free with admission, and the topics vary by week.  This has been a good draw and now Tuesdays are our busiest weekday.  As for timing, most schools come before noon, leaving the afternoons slower.  We chose 1pm so people can visit right after lunch, and that works for us.  People want free tours more than once a week, but we can't always guarantee the docents, so we're sticking to Tuesdays for now.  (They can do a paid private tour whenever, but people want free.)

    ------------------------------
    Tiffany Meng
    Director - Operations
    Delta Flight Museum
    Atlanta GA
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


Related Content