Shhhh, don’t tell anyone. I find most museums boring.
When I was fourteen I went to Amsterdam for the first time. My dad had a work trip to Holland and invited me to tag along. He worked during the days and left me to explore the city and surrounding towns. He put money in my pocket and set me free. I had a ball traveling to Edam, Delft and Gouda as well as roaming around Amsterdam.
I was permitted to do whatever I wanted EXCEPT his one requirement was that I visit the Rijksmuseum and see the famous Rembrandt painting, “The Night Watch.” He thought that since I was in Amsterdam that I really should see it. I walked into the museum, paid my guilders (this was before Euros), beelined to the painting, took a quick look and walked straight to the exit.
Since then, wherever I am, I faithfully visit whatever famous museum or historical that one should see while traveling in the area. Louvre, Uffizi, Ankor Wat, Museo Nacional de Antropología, Hadrians Wall.
My secret is that while I dutifully go, in many cases I find them as boring now as I did when I was fourteen.
The heaps of broken ceramic pots at the Acropolis Museum, endless walls filled with Madonna and child at the Vatican, acres of gardens at the Alhambra or ponderous descriptions of plundered booty at the British Museum…make my feet hurt and brain numb. On top of that I find most churches and cathedrals repetitive…just how many stained glass windows and naves can one look at before it all blends together?
Even though I don’t enjoy these sites, I hear my dad whispering in my ear that I SHOULD see the important stuff. And, as a parent I have adopted this value and inflect the ‘shoulds’ on my children.
There are some museums I do like.
In particular, modern art museums since I enjoy seeing the diverse creative processes of each artist up close. There are also specific pieces I love like the Diego Rivera murals at the Detroit Art Museum or Klimt’s ‘The Kiss,” which have great accessible stories behind them. I find the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the United States Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC incredibly moving. I also love living museums like Colonial Williamsburg or Plimoth Plantation where I can talk to people (actors) from the past.
Over the past several months of traveling I have seen many important sights and museums in rapid succession. This got me thinking about the characteristics of museums and sites I enjoy versus those I want to flee within minutes of entering.
As I reflected, I realized I am energized and excited when I can learn about people…either those who came before me or those who have very different experiences. I like learning about the motivations, practices and environs behind an art piece or relic. A pot shard is just a broken bowl unless I can picture the user cooking and living a life. I want the story and context.
AND, no matter how great something is I will be miserable if it’s crowded or smoking hot.
While I believe that some museums do a better job than others at telling stories, I have a role in this too. When I read ahead and understand a little of what I will be seeing BEFORE I go, I have more context and the relics bring their story to life. And, sometimes we use a guide or have access to a well-`produced audio tour which definitely helps.
So my new resolutions are to…
Let go of the shoulds
Find museums and sites where I will be able to find stories.
Invest a little time in preparing ahead of time.
Not go anyplace that has an hour long wait in the hot sun.
….no matter how much I SHOULD.
A museum curator would really benefit from your write up. Excellent ideas and ones I’m gonna follow too
My favorite part of the Acropolis Museum was on the upper floor where they rebuilt the frame of the Parthenon and placed the marble decorations they have and you can look out the glass walls at the actual Acropolis. Which makes me wonder if you went to the old museum before the new one opened in 2009.
We have pictures of our children reading at museums all over.