How Visitors Relate to Museum Experiences: An Analysis of Positive and Negative Reactions

There is growing interest in the nature of the museum experience among researchers in the fields of art and museum education. The museum experience is broadly defined by John Falk and Lynn Dierking as all that transpires between the person's first thought of visiting a museum, through the actual visit, and then beyond, when the museum experience remains only in memory. Additionally, they propose that this experience varies from individual to individual and, in fact, is dependent upon the interaction between the personal context (the visitor's life experiences, interests and expectations), the social context (whether the individual visits the museum alone, with friends or family, or as part of a large group), and the physical context (the architecture, atmosphere, and objects on display within the museum).