My museum observation took place at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. Their latest exhibition Vikings: Beyond the Legend just opened on October 13, 2018 and had been promoted for a time leading up to now. Ticket prices for the institute’s exhibitions are a little steep with general admission included but I made the trip with my boyfriend (who is not a museum person) to see what this exhibition had to offer. We went on a Wednesday and fortunately were not swarmed by crowds in the exhibition.
The exhibition was surprising in that it offered much more technological integration and hands-on interactives than expected. Multiple projectors were spaced around the first half of the exhibition, touch screen devices were provided for multiple activities and pictures, there was a dress up station, and some of the interactives coincided well with some of the exhibition elements. My personal favorite interactive was one on an excavation table where visitors got to dig up the remains and artifacts of a personal Viking ship. One example where the technology missed the mark was on devices that coincided with a Viking ship reconstructed with a metal skeleton. The devices were supposed to lay a digital image over the ship but only one device was in sync with the skeleton and even still it was a little difficult to navigate around the ship to access information points. There was also one device where visitors could interact with a Viking warrior and take a screenshot to send via email but after putting in my information the image could not be sent. At the end of the exhibition I was pleasantly surprised to find a touch table where visitors could quiz and be quizzed on information provided throughout the show which I believe wrapped up our time nicely in the exhibition.
From my time close to Philadelphia I am aware the Franklin Institute is famous for school trips and younger educational development (other areas of the institute include sciences like electricity and weather, human anatomy, the giant heart, and sports sciences). It was difficult to get around and see other types of technological integration in the whole institute so that is why my focus is on the Viking show alone. Vikings: Beyond the Legend is running to March 3, 2019 and I would highly recommend if anyone is interested in an enjoyable (but costly) exhibition.
Amanda's Museum Blog 
Both your summary and your presentation are excellent.
LikeLike