The
Participatory
House
Museum?
Designing for
Participation in
“Hands-Off” Spaces

The Participatory Museum—guiding
principles/theories
• The idea of an audience-centered institution that is
as relevant, useful, and accessible as a shopping mall
or train station
• The idea that visitors construct their own meaning
from cultural experiences
• The idea that users’ voices can inform and invigorate
both project design and public-facing programs

Log Cabin Village
• Fort Worth living history museum dedicated
to 19th century Texas
• Seven log cabins (including a working
gristmill), one-room school house, log
smokehouse, reproduction blacksmith shop
• Third person historical interpreters

Where we were—
a “pre” participatory model
• “Chicken wire”—physical/emotional barrier
• The spiel
• Little visitor engagement
• Duplicate experience at each visit…so why
return?

What does visitor engagement
look like for your site?
The “good
ol’ days”

Where we are—
an “in process” participatory model
• Removal of wire and plex; still barrier, but less
divisive
• Conversation-based interpretation
• Touch baskets
• Hands-on cabin—experience is entirely visitor-
directed
• Social media
• Each visit, theoretically, is unique. Come back to
learn more!

What does visitor engagement
look like for your site?

What does visitor engagement
look like for your site?

Challenges
• Budget—we can’t stay open later or hire more
staff
• Seeking outside input requires TIME and
money
• Time
• Staff retraining
• Did I mention time?

Rewards
• Staff members become stakeholders—less
burnout
• Visitors feel emotionally and physically
engaged and return
• Institution remains relevant in turbulent times
• Community investment
• Greater representation of the community as a
whole

Resources
• The Participatory Museum PowerPoint—Nina
Simon: http://tinyurl.com/ninasimon1
• Engaging Museum Audiences PowerPoint—
Nina Simon: http://bit.ly/engagenz
• The Interpreters Training Manual for
Museums—Mary Kay Cunningham

Wanna talk?
Rena Lawrence
Educator and Collections Manager
Log Cabin Village
817-392-6769
rena.lawrence@fortworthgov.org
Twitter.com/logcabinvillage
Facebook.com/logcabinvillage