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!

REVEALING THE RAM: GIFT SHOP REVIEW

Beyond Tradition | Elizabeth Cytko

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The Royal Alberta Museum is in the foreground with Edmonton City Hall to the left.
Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Cytko.

Welcome to a special holiday edition, Alberta style!

This Christmas break I had the privilege of returning home to Edmonton and finally getting to visit the newly opened Royal Alberta Museum (RAM). While this is technically a gift shop review, I do want to briefly touch upon the museum itself. The audience of the RAM is made by Albertans for Albertans, with the assumption that the audience will visit the other major museums within the province. The new location is ideally placed downtown next to other major tourist attractions such as the Art Gallery of Alberta, City Hall, and the Stanley A. Milner library.

Historic shoes are presented as part of the shoe cubbies for children.
Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Cytko.

I was very impressed with how the RAM incorporates Alberta identity throughout the institution. For example, the Children's Gallery features science alongside everyday prairie life, where through various activities, they can learn about where they live.

First Nations are front and center in the Human History Hall. There are iPads that tell stories which change with the seasons in respect to cultural tradition. Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Cytko.

What I was particularly impressed by was the Human History Hall. Entering the space, the visitor is greeted with large beautiful landscape images of the province. One of the first things a visitor sees is a sacred buffalo rock. What excited me the most is how the First Nations are incorporated throughout the entire gallery, laced together with settler history, where the various peoples of Alberta grow and thrive together. I spent most of my time in this gallery looking at all the cool historic artifacts; my favourite part was the old post from Fort Edmonton!

A post from Fort Edmonton is featured. Behind there is a flying canoe, detailing the early history of the city as a trading fort.
I suggest you visit this museum post-haste! :) Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Cytko.

If you get the chance to visit the museum, I strongly recommend it, you won’t be disappointed.

Loved the word play of these coffee names.
Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Cytko

I am also going to give a special mention to the Café, which is right beside the gift shop. The Café is consistent in keeping their products themed with the RAM such as Bison and Alberta craft beer chili with fry bread to the Albertosaurus cheeseburger. They even have their own specialty coffee. I ended up buying Rocky Mountain High, which is a nice light bodied medium coffee. These coffee blends are exclusive to the RAM. Seeing this had me excited to see what the gift shop has to offer.

A large entryway into the shop accommodates mobility devices.
Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Cytko

Entering the wide aisles of the shop, it was obvious to me that there was some thought put into accessibility. One of the downsides is that there were tall shelves, so someone in a wheelchair or using another mobility aid may not be able to reach those items. However, there were quite a few attendants in the store, so if there was need, help would easily be provided. I loved the friendly and welcoming colour scheme in the shop.

Amazing handcrafted jewellery. Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Cytko.

The age demographic of the store is all ages. There were products to please everyone, from the smallest baby to the ritziest of grandmas. When it comes to affordability, there were things with a lower price point (so poor students like me can buy things), ranging to high quality products with a higher price point (for future successful non-student me to buy).

It took every inch of willpower not to buy this book.
Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Cytko.

A warning to parents: If you appear here with your kid, you will spend money.
Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Cytko.

The children’s selection includes locally themed picture books, stuffed animals, science sets, cool rocks, and other items that will be sure to thrill any child.

Edmonton is known for their magpies. If you are lucky you might be able to see a 'ghost' magpie - where the black colouring is grey! I once saw one and it was amazing. Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Cytko.

How cute are these tiny Alberta pins? Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Cytko.

Items are neatly displayed in the gift shop. Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Cytko.

Nice to see some local civic pride. Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Cytko.

What got my attention is the emphasis on local artists. It was refreshing to walk around the store and see various Alberta themed items, from hats, to bumper stickers, and postcards.  Since this museum is based in Edmonton, there were also quite a few Edmonton themed items. Recently Edmonton has undergone a civic identity renaissance, with local artists producing amazing locally themed items, such as a patch with the ever present magpie or pins shaped like the province.

For all your tiny Mammoth needs. Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Cytko.

Show your love for the RAM by wearing this snuggly hoodie. Sock monkey not included.
Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Cytko.

There were also specific RAM themed items, most of them featuring the Mammoth Mascot Moe.

A fun sticker! Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Cytko.

Overall, the gift shop was chock-full of fun stuff relevant to the museum's mandate. The gift shop products show that the RAM's audience is diverse and values supporting local.

I rate this museum gift shop 4.5/5 with the .5 taken off for accessibility concerns.