Something for Everyone

As movie theaters, shopping malls, theme parks, and other entertainment venues expand and multiply, museums must work harder than ever to serve a public with a multitude of leisure-time options. Museums must investigate ways to expand their audiences and encourage new and repeat visitation. Art museums in particular, traditionally reputed as elite institutions for the wealthy, must focus energy and resources on actively welcoming more diverse audiences. Visitor services can play a key role in broadening a museum’s audiences by offering the widest spectrum of options to the widest audience possible without compromising the integrity of the museum’s mission, or more simply stated, by offering something for everyone.