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Visit a museum as often as you can

Guest blog by Christopher Woodland,

Museums are a great way to spend time with family and friends

These are difficult times and it’s often easy to use a museum admission price or travel costs as an excuse not to visit. A visit to a museum often translates into a day spent with loved ones as mums and dads become tour guides and teachers, while young ones become inquisitive and learn though experiencing the past. These valuable personal memories created at museums do not expire.

Museums inspire and help bring change

Museums provide inspiration through personal connections with visitors, and not only on-site, also through social networks. The volunteering opportunities, education and the cultivation of conversation that are taking place in museums shape and support our communities.

Museums can make you feel good

Experiences, such as visiting a museum, can also become a meaningful part of one’s identity and contribute to healthy social relationships that material items cannot. It is said that people are happier when they spend money on experiences rather than material purchases.

Museums make you smarter and provide an effective way of learning

With their interesting stories that provide inspiration, museums are excellent environments for informal shared learning experiences that inspire interests in areas of study, whether it is of a time period, object or an idea. A primary role of a museum is to engage and educate the community, transforming galleries into classrooms and enhancing a school’s curriculum.

Museums are community centres

Museums are increasingly holding cultural events, workshops, book festivals, craft markets and becoming meeting places. They allow you discuss thoughts and opinions as they become an active part of the community and often bringing it together. Check out any Museums website or social media pages to see what they have to offer.

A museum could be your next business or community partner

It takes a lot of employees to help run Scotland’s Museums and it takes countless businesses and community partners to keep them functioning. Museums need everything from marketing services to toilet rolls. Organisations can hold meetings in them and opportunities for sponsoring exhibitions and events leads to great public relations.

Museums are for you

If you like a museum and you want to keep it around for decades, other than visiting you could maybe make a donation, alternatively become annual member or join a friends’ group which can allow you free access all year round.

There is a museum close to you!

"A visit to a museum is a search for beauty, truth, and meaning in our lives. Go to museums as often as you can."

— Maira Kalman