City Value Study

Conceived as part the Denver Evaluation Network, the City Value Study sought to understand whether people visiting one of the cultural institutions in the Network valued that museum. Further, participants were asked to explain, in their own words, more about why they valued that particular institution; what that museum offered themselves, their family, and their community; and what other leisure options they had considered for the day. Following these interview questions, administered by DMNS Research Assistants, each respondent completed a short, demographic questionnaire. Data collection took place on either a Wednesday/Thursday and a Saturday/Sunday at each institution. DMNS Research Assistants worked four-hour shifts and there were no free-days during data collection. RAs followed a random sampling protocol (every 3rd adult visitor) where the traffic volume allowed them to do so, other times they achieved a representative sampling by approaching every visitor. The instrument was administered as people entered the museum. Data collection at DMNS took place on Wednesday, September 21st and Saturday, September 24th. T-Rex Encounter, a bilingual exhibition, was open in Phipps Gallery. The appendix of this report includes the interview instrument used in the study.