NO KIDS ALLOWED!

Museum Innovations | Keelan Cashmore

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If you have visited a museum recently, chances are you’ve seen a wide variety of programs dedicated to patrons under the age of the 18. These could include mommy and me events, holiday programs, summer camps, and more. Museums are striving to become inclusive spaces that provide fun for the whole family.

While this is great for families, especially those with young children, what about patrons who would prefer a kid-free experience?

More and more museums are developing events and programs geared to this demographic.

The Royal British Columbia Museum (RBCM) located in Victoria, British Columbia, holds four different types of adult only events.

One of the exhibits at the Royal British Columbia Museum. Source.

These are: night shift, grown-up camp, museum happy hour, and night at the museum.

Each event provides adults the chance to experience special programming designed just for them, free of children or underage teenagers.

Night shift is “an opportunity to visit the museum for an evening of presentations, live music, and exciting interaction with museum and community experts.” This event is held twice a year, on Halloween and New Years, and each event promotes a different theme.

Grown-up camp is defined as “a twist on nostalgic summer camp themes” and allows adults the chance to participate in either a day camp, or a sleepover camp, at the museum. This is a recurring event that takes places throughout the year.

Museum happy hour is an after-work event where adults can partake in new food and drink specials, explore the galleries, and take part in themed activities. Like grown-up camp, this is a recurring event throughout the year.

The final adults only event, is entitled Night at the Museum – Adults Only! This is a recurring sleepover camp strictly for those of legal age. Event activities include "food, drinks, and adventurous thematic-themed excursions throughout the museum.”

Each of these activities allows adults to get involved in the museum, while providing them with fun and entertainment. Who said kids are the only ones who should have entertaining programs?

This idea of adult only events has been picking up speed within the museum community. The Royal Alberta Museum (RAM) in Edmonton, Alberta, recently reopened, has also included adult only events in their programming with the development of “Evening at the Museum” where those 18+ can relax with food, drinks, music, and a relaxed atmosphere.

One of the exhibits at the Royal Alberta Museum. Source.

Traditional institutions are not the only places integrating adults only events. The Telus Spark in Calgary, Alberta, hosts their “Adult Only Night” once a month from 6:00pm-10:00pm. During this night, patrons receive free reign in the galleries, a fully licensed bar, a dance floor, more involved challenges, and innovative collaborators from around the community.

One of the exhibits at the Telus Spark. Source.

Some children’s museums are even partaking in the adults only trend. The Manitoba Children’s Museum, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, has launched a series of events entitled “Seriously Adult.” The event includes opening the museum after hours, providing a fully licensed bar, and special events such as comedy or trivia nights. It also allows the adults to fully interact with the exhibits without the worry of small children underfoot. Proceeds from these events are used to increase museum revenue, as they receive only 14% of their funding from the government. Lisa Dziedic, the museum’s Marketing Director, states that the return on the adults only events has been higher than those from fundraising galas, special event dinners, and golf tournaments (source).

The exhibit area at the Manitoba Children's Museum. Source.

Overall, it seems adults only events are taking the museum by storm! Not only are they providing adults with a chance to explore the museum without children underfoot, they are bringing revenue into the museum by providing this demographic with programming tailored specifically to them.

As an individual who falls within this demographic, I think adults only events are a fantastic way to provide patrons with a new way to experience museums, and I look forward to partaking in some of these events myself!