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| Have you or would you staff a display at a community event? https://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=18667 |
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| Author: | wesp [ Sun Oct 02, 2005 8:28 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Have you or would you staff a display at a community event? |
Members of our museum have recently staffed a museum display at two different community events. One, at Glen Echo Park, the former local trolley park, was very successful in terms of engaging people and sharing the Museum's story. The most recent, at more generic community arts and history street fair was less successful, with most folks politely passing by our booth. Our biggest attraction is the streetcars in our collection, and they are not very portable to such events. We rely on photos and smaller portable artifacts such as a fare box, O scale models, etc. to tell the story at such road shows.For the first time at this year's arts and humanities event, our educator appeared on one of the performance stages in her role as story teller, using one of her lessons from our education program. She attracted about a dozen children for a fifteen-minute presentation. Has your group particpated in such events? Have you encountered the same issues in terms of public interest? If so what do you do to attract interest in your display? Present someone in costume/uniform? Offer giveaways such as free passes, balloons or other small items? My sense is that participation at such community events may not be the best use of our limited outreach resources. Please share your stories and suggestions based on actual experiences.Thanks.Wesley PaulsonNational Capital Trolley Museum |
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| Author: | Randy Hees [ Sun Oct 02, 2005 9:23 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Have you or would you staff a display at a community eve |
We have, but haven’t recently, but will do it again.We have a custom 10x10 booth, constructed by one of our members, with photo panels.We bring artifacts to display and set up a “mini museum”. We add literature for our group and the park which hosts our museum. Frequently we offer some type of discount coupon for our site (most commonly a child free with adult) If we do a coupon it carries a code to allow us to track how effective our outreach efforts have been.If space is available, we bring one of our pump cars, (the group has a trailer) If lots of space is available, we set up 70’ of panel track and give pump car rides. One pump car is narrow gauge, one standard. If there is railroad track on site we use it if possible. In the past we have also taken a small 1886 horse drawn street car, mounted on rubber tires, but that car’s frame is fragile enough to limit its use.We have been pretty picky about which event we attend. Some of the best have been re-openings or significant birthday celebrations of local railroad stations, Historic events (Victorian Day in the Park), Model railroad shows, or other railroad museums’ events. (it also builds good relationships with other museums) Occasionally we do an event for “political” reasons.We staff the booth with costumed docents, both from our museum, but also occasionally with docents from the historic house museum which is on our site.Since our group emphases traditional wooden railroad car building, we have been known to bring a “project” and a tool box, and demonstrate how the tools work, by drilling or cutting up a 4x6… If the timing is right it can even be productive, making parts for one of our cars. But productivity is less important than making wood chips. The house docents have been known to set up a croquet course and play a game.The efforts have generated new members, and some revenue (we put a donation jar out if giving pump car rides, or sell mugs, tee shirts or books, but the booth is always primarily a display, not a sales booth)So, we: 1) chose the events carefully and 2) We really try to put on a show. It will be hard to get volunteers to staff the booth. It takes organization and time. |
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| Author: | rrmuseum [ Sun Oct 02, 2005 9:52 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Have you or would you staff a display at a community eve |
We have a "trade show" type display that we take to community events. You will find us at various places around the area spreading the word about the Museum, recruiting volunteers, recruiting members, and otherwise enlightening the locals about what we have to offer. One of the most successful and most visual places we "take our show on the road" to is Blair County Ballpark. Altoona is the home of the Double-A, Altoona Curve Baseball Club, an affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates and yes the team is named for the Horseshoe Curve. The management and ownership of the team is well aware of the railroad heritage of the area and tries to emphasize that in things they do at the ballpark. We have a game every year where the team wears a replica of an old PRR baseball team uniform and the jerseys are auctioned off at the end of the game to benefit the Museum.We try to be very visible and also do a bit of the reverse of what you asked in your original question. We also invite other local attractions and not-for-profits to set up displays at our facility to bring attention to them. We have always felt that whatever we can do to rid everyone of the parochialism everyone feels about there own operations and work together as a group of attractions and community organizations is the best thing we can do. |
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| Author: | Ken Jones [ Mon Oct 03, 2005 8:44 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Have you or would you staff a display at a community eve |
Ummm yep, do it all the time. We have a 10'x20' tent that we bring around, and can be sealed up at night. The artifacts do not stay in the tent overnight, they are put in and out everyday. We usually have one of the motorcars out front for people to see and sit in. However, our last outdoor display was this past saturday, and we have decided that we aren't going to do anymore displays ove 1 day. There have been far too many times that we go out, sit there for 3 days, and bring in a whopping $100.00 in sales or donations. People have tendancy to stand outside the tent, look inside, and point, then walk away. They think the tent is going to eat them or something. Even some of the one day events are a waste of time, but there are a few that we will continue to take part in. The other reason to cut back ondisplays is because we only ever get 2 or 3 people out to help out over the 3 days. So its the same 2 or 3 people doing everything, with usually 2 of us there ALL the time. We have various displays focusing on the railway history of Niagara Falls, a TV playing the great BUster Keaton's Railrodder (which is a sale item) and our photo albums. People are intersted in some things, but thier usually thier spouse drags them out because they want to go see the tent with the bubble gum machine or some stupid thing like that.If we do an indoor display, there's usually one of us dressed up in conductors uniform, which goes over well, but gets pretty damn hot sometimes. ANyways, that's just my two cents worth. |
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| Author: | Barbara F. Lanphier [ Mon Oct 03, 2005 1:14 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Have you or would you staff a display at a community eve |
One of the Illinois Railway Museum's venues is the Strahorn Library, which is located in Marengo, Illinois, just a few miles from our main museum campus. We have hosted small community groups on several occasions and provided a brief program for their meetings. In 2004 we were asked to participate in a local history week, by presenting a program on the railroads that had passed through Marengo [i.e. the Woodstock & Sycamore, Elgin & Belvidere, Galena & Chicago Union-later CNW, now UP]. We had about a dozen visitors; the event was considered a success by the organizers.I've also taken a card table and display boards to sidewalk events in a couple of towns; and Belvidere, IL, hosts a "hometown Christmas" event with lots of model train layouts--we take display boards, calendars, etc.--We enjoy going--visitor enthusiasm is high! For us it's informational; we don't sell merchandise at these events. |
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