Interpreting Anniversaries and Milestones at Museums and Historic Sites

Book excerpt: Interpreting Anniversaries and Milestones at Museums and Historic Sites is an invaluable resource for a wide range of cultural organizations that are attempting to plan an historical anniversary celebration or commemoration, including museums, churches, cities, libraries, colleges, arts organizations, science centers, historical societies, and historic house museums. As you plan a milestone anniversary for your institution, learn from what others have already accomplished in their own communities. What worked? What didn’t work? And why? The book begins with an examination of why people are drawn to celebrating and commemorating anniversaries in their own lives and in their communities, as well as the institutional benefits of planning this type of programming. The rest of the book features case studies of specific institutions that have planned and executed an anniversary celebration or commemoration. In-depth interviews with key staff members involved in the planning process at each organization provide the reader with ideas that can be adapted to their own celebrations, as well as pit-falls to avoid, funding opportunities, marketing plans, and visitor response. Chapters are organized by the type of anniversary activity: · Signature Events · Programs and Tours · Fundraising Campaigns · Exhibitions, Books and Documentaries · Audience Outreach and Community Involvement · Preservation · Partnerships · Commemorative Products and Souvenirs A wide range of sizes and types of organizations are represented from across the country and around the world, including the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, The Andy Warhol Museum, The Imperial War Museum, Mackinac State Historic Parks, Woodrow Wilson House, the National Corvette Museum, Stan Hywet, Cincinnati Preservation Society, the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo, the City of South Bend, and much more. Plans can be scaled up or down, depending on your institution’s resources.