#4: Museum Navigation Tips

Museum Navigation

                                              Image from NanB. on Pixaby

The following tips and suggestions will be for both an in-person visit and online in various circumstances. Museums come in a variety of sizes and shapes. When most people think of a museum, they tend to think of the encyclopedic museum, for example, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. This is a huge museum with multiple stories and floors and a little bit of everything to see. Just explore. You find so many cool things off the beaten path.

Museum navigation is one of the most important things a visitor and museum staff must deal with. You can use the museum map online to study the layout beforehand. It would be really hard to list every museum and how to get around. This is just some general tips.

It is important to note that museums frequently move their collections and particular art pieces. Just know what you want to see could be moved or gone. Larger museums might have the function I am about to mention. Smaller museums might not, depending on the size of their collection, have everything on display already. If you can research what you would like to see before you get there, it will make your trip easier.

For in person visits, take a breakout a map. Grab some lunch in the café (if they have one) and study the map. Mark on it if it is paper or digital. Get a paper map as a back up in-case the digital one fails due to poor connection.

    National Gallery of Art Screenshot

An example of using a museum website online: Do this before you visit.

For most museum websites, if you go to the About section on their webpage, or you can click on Search the collection. This might be called collection in the tab. If, for some reason, this is not under the About page, it might be its separate tab. Once you find the search the collection option, you can type in the name of the artist, time, or style you’re looking for. This next part is vital as it will help students, teachers, and general visitors.

Example of navigation tabs

Home > Art > Collection.

Click on the View tab or check box.

This lets you see what is currently out in the museum.

It is okay if you see more than one way to search for artwork. It is also okay if you don’t remember the time period or name of the artist.

Not all search information or options on the museum website will apply to you.

Sometimes, things change once you’re there in person. I went to a science museum one time and didn’t feel like taking the stairs. Using their map, I found my way to an elevator. Only it was a private staff elevator, so I had to take the stairs anyway.

No matter what’s happening on your trip, you can always ask someone for directions.

Most museums can recommend places to eat nearby if they’re smaller, and if they’re a major museum, they’re going to have a place to eat inside. Remember to visit the gift shop before the café. That way, you don’t have to carry your purchases all over the museum.

Terms and Situations

Bonus Section

These are the most common employees you will see. Here are their departments. If the museum is small a staff member will have more than one role to play.

Guest Services, also known as Membership, sells and scans your admission tickets. This is different from your parking garage ticket.

Parking Dept. This is who to call if the parking arm will not raise or if the machine stops giving tickets to enter the garage.

Security- will give you directions and answer your questions. They help with lost and found items. They tell you to check your bag or to put away the coffee you are drinking. Please do so.

Docent-A Museum tour guide who is usually a volunteer.

 Elevator Navigation

How to read elevator Buttons: Not all museums will have the same number of parking or layout situation. While I cannot guess at every museum layout. I can give you information on how to read elevator buttons.

B- Basement

F-First Floor or M for Main Floor.

G- Ground Floor/ The G could also stand for Garden. In case they have a sculpture garden.

M- Mezzanine level- A partial story between two main stories of a building.

R- Roof Level

S- Storage- This could be for museum staff only.

 I hope what you learned today was fun and informative. You made it to the end. I know I gave you a lot of information to consider. Usually, for first-time museum visitors, the most challenging part will be your unique parking situation, navigation and getting tickets. I hope this information was helpful.