A Bad Case of Museum Fatigue

Nurse: Doctor, this patient has been slumped on a bench, staring into space for an hour! What’s wrong with her?

Doctor: I’m afraid she has a bad case of … [dramatic melody] … museum fatigue.

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Joking aside, I do believe museum fatigue is … underdiagnosed. We have a lot of those patients.

Museum fatigue is mental: information overwhelm, lack of clear guiding narratives, traumatic content. And it’s also physical: hard floors, no seating, long walking distances. But since we know that, we know what we could do. For example:

We could pace our content better, alternating density with lighter fare.

We could break exhibitions better into digestible chapters, each with a reset moment.

We could include ample seating.

We could leave areas contentless, solely for rest.

We could offer shortcuts and “highlights paths”.

We could have “you are here” maps and exhibit overviews at every gallery entry.

We could include spaces for sheer play or contemplation.

We could include ample seating. (Yes, I included that twice.)

Here’s the thing:

We know what we could do. We just have to do it. And look at that list. What if we did all those things? That wouldn’t just solve museum fatigue. It would make our museum amazing.

Warmly,
Jonathan

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MtM Word of the Day:

Museum fatigue. Mental and physical exhaustion some visitors may feel, often resulting in disengagement, distraction, and departure. Causes can include information oversaturation, poor wayfinding, hard floors, and lack of benches. The term dates to the early 1900s.

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Alert! Complimentary Membership Offer

The SEGD Museum Exhibition Professional Practice Group, or ME-PPG, has a pretty hard-to-beat offer, while supplies last:

If you work for a nonprofit museum and need support to join, SEGD has a limited number of grants available to cover a complimentary membership — apply here. 

Not ready to commit? Find out more about the SEGD PPG for Museum Exhibition.