This paper the development and success of an ambitious plan launched by the Philadelphia Zoo in late 1970's and early 1980s to streamline operating procedures, repair and replace buildings and exhibits, and evaluate and upgrade visitor services. A key part of this service strategy was a visitor survey, which aimed to identify weaknesses and provide regular feedback for operating staff and management. A copy of this questionnaire is included in this paper.
In this paper, researchers from University of Michigan discuss a major problem facing zoo administrators in major urban metropolitan areas: the relevance and attraction of urban zoos to inner-city minority residents. They present an overview of the methodology and findings from a study that examined zoo visitation to the Detroit Zoo by white and minority residents of Detroit.
In this paper, Elin Kelsey describes the planning and design process for the new "Arctic Canada" exhibit at the Vancouver Aquarium. Kelsey discusses a number of parameters whose consideration will provide a more reliable basis for making hte kinds of decisions that exhibit planners must make.
This is a brief abstract of Suzanne Hodges's Master's Thesis at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute. Hodges researched the influence of enlarged signs and less label copy on visitors' behavior at a small children's zoo in Virginia.
This is a brief abstract of Steve R. Hage's Master's Thesis at the University of Minnesota. Hage conducted an ethnographic study of family groups at the Japanese Snow Monkey exhibit in the Minnesota Zoo. Hage confirmed prior research that concluded visitors appear to be more interested in viewing active, attractive animals than learning about the natural history of animals.
The New York Hall of Science is the only major science center in the New York Metropolitan Area and serves a rapidly growing audience with both public and school-based programs and exhibits. Low income families and members of diverse minority communities are a major part of its target audience. The present award will support a major 3,000 square foot permanent exhibition on microbiology and microscopic organisms organized around themes of disease, its causes, prevention and cure, benign and beneficial microbial agents, and the nature of microscopic life. The exhibition will make extensive use of new microscopic display technologies for interactive exhibitry, with extensive formative evaluation and testing of principal exhibit components. Professional publications, an exhibit monograph and low cost videotapes will be used in national dissemination and a classroom kit based on the exhibit will be circulated widely throughout the New York Metropolitan area. This innovative project will form a significant part of the permanent exhibits of this newly reorganized science center. NSF support will constitute approximately 28% of the $ 1.3 million total project cost.
The Museum of Science will design and produce an exhibition, "Two of Every Sort", whose aim is to present a scientific basis for the public's understanding of genser, reproduction and human diversity. Using interactive techniques and state-of-the-art media technology, the exhibition will debut at the Museum in Boston, tour science centers in seven other cities and reach an audience of nearly 2.5 million. The eight museums are members of the Science Museum Exhibit Collaborative, which has approved "Two of Every Sort" as one of a second round of shared-cost exhibitions scheduled to appear at each of the member institutions. "Two of Every Sort" (4,000 square feet) will present introductory scientific overview, ranging among biology, anthropology, botany and biomedical technology, to make discussion of these difficult and sensitive matters more meaningful. The exhibit will offer an unusual opportunity to millions of people -- families, teachers and youngsters, to consider complex questions in a safe, friendly learning environment.