Habitat dioramas and sense of place: Factors linked to visitors’ feelings about the natural places portrayed in dioramas (2013)

This research investigated ways in which habitat dioramas contribute to visitors’ development of Sense of Place. Visitors’ responses to dioramas at the Field Museum (Chicago) and Denver Museum of Nature and Science were studied, using observations, interviews, and a Diorama Sense of Place survey instrument. Although observations revealed few conversations about the places depicted in the dioramas, other data revealed that dioramas inspired memories and connections to place. A complex set of factors contributed to visitors’ feelings of Place Bondedness. Visitors expressed the strongest connections to places that felt most familiar to them—even if they had not visited them previously.