Effectiveness of A Museum

When I think of what an effective museum is, the first thing that comes to mind is the museum staff. The museum staff is what inspires and educates the visitor, determining the overall outlook of the museum itself. I've been to museums that were filled with interesting artifacts and were obviously doing very well economically but they didn't really stick in my mind as great experiences. One example of this was the Bodies exhibit in Seattle; my biology class went to see the exhibit and despite the very intricate and fascinating exhibits, the staff did not seem all that interested or engaged in the subject or in informing their visitors of the educational knowledge around them. In the end, this field trip, which could have been a great experience with a lot of educational benefits, fell short of what it may have been and became an almost forgotten memory. On the other hand, an engaged staff that cares about their visitors can turn an old, perhaps run-down museum into a memorable and fascinating experience. An example of this would be when I went to the McConnell Mansion Museum in Moscow, Idaho. This old mansion used to belong to a family of prominent Idahoan politicians. Not only has the mansion been restored to its original framework, but many other interesting artifacts from the time period are showcased as well. When I first walked into the mansion, it was really cold and even had a terrible odor to it. Not looking forward to the rest of the visit, a staff member immediately came to me and said she would be more than happy to give me a tour of the place. She gave me one of the most intricate and informative tours I've ever had; to my surprise she even told me that she was brand new to the museum, which told me how passionate she was about her job, which made me excited about the museum as well.