Young Adult Study

With the support of a Wallace Excellence Award, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (the Gardner) contracted with Randi Korn & Associates, Inc. (RK&A) to study its young adult visitors. The study is part of an initiative to engage young adults between 18 and 34 years old, and to create conditions for a compelling experience at the Gardner that will foster continuing relationships with the Museum. \r\n\r\nData for this study were collected from in-depth interviews with 55 groups of young adult visitors (184 individuals) between 18 and 43 years of age. After the interview, each participant completed a one-page questionnaire to collect demographic information as well as information about respondents' typical museum visitation. All data were collected between November 2007 and May 2008 during After Hours, a late night event at the Gardner held on the third Thursday of the month. \r\n\r\nFindings from the study have three major implications:\r\n\r\n1) Young adults crave an environment that allows them to be social and feel comfortable and relaxed. The Gardner created such an environment through its After Hours program.\r\n\r\n2) Young adults, particularly Millennials—those in Generation Y—value peer group experiences because they like learning and sharing ideas as a group. The works of art in the Gardner provided stimulus to tighten and solidify peer groups.\r\n\r\n3) Word of mouth is still the best method of advertising for museums; however, young adults' preferred mode of communication often involves technology and is fast-paced.\r\n