Family guides: Self-guided tours at art museums

This thesis focuses on self-guided-tours, in the form of books or games, for families with children ages five to ten that are currently offered by five large North American, urban, art museums. The museums examined include: The National Museum of African Art, The National Gallery of Art, The Museum of Modern Art, San Jose Museum of Art, and The Denver Art Museum. The family guides were analyzed according to goals, target audience, duration, introduction to museum experience, accessibility, structure, suggested activities in the museum and at home, design, promotion, and evaluation. From information provided by both the museums and parents, this research confirms that in the unstructured environment of art museums, parents often welcome extra guidance and focus to their families' visits. Based on these five criteria for educational resources, the thesis identifies elements necessary for the initiation, implementation, and maintenance of a successful family guide. Major conclusions include: Museums spend substantial amount of funds and staff time on experimental family guide projects with little or no research to substantiate program effectiveness; museums strive to balance the entertainment and educational aspects in the guides.