Front End Evaluation Report for the Science Museum of Minnesota’s Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibition

This front end evaluation report for the Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibition is composed of visitor interviews on the museum floor and surveys conducted with visitors to a previous exhibition. Most visitors interviewed had heard of the Dead Sea Scrolls and were interested in learning more about them and the scientific processes involved in interpreting and preserving them. About half the visitors knew approximately when the scrolls were created, but very few had any notion of the vast number of scrolls that have been found. Fortunately for The Science Museum of Minnesota, most visitors were not surprised by their tattered state and were even more excited to see them based on their condition. Additionally, there is high interest amongst those interviewed to see the scrolls. In developing the exhibition, The Science Museum of Minnesota should go forward with their idea of taking a more scientific approach to exhibiting the scrolls, and should emphasize how many scrolls exist.