Exhibit Design for Intergenerational Visitor Groups at the Northwest Railway Museum

Abstract

The Northwest Railway Museum in Snoqualmie, WA is preparing for the construction of a new exhibition gallery that will expand their capacity to display large railway vehicles. Families and school groups make up a significant portion of the museum's core audience, so this document is designed to help guide exhibit design in the new Roundhouse Gallery to better engage with intergenerational visitor groups. Research shows that intergenerational social interaction enhances learning and fulfillment for people of all ages. By centering universal design, exhibits in the Roundhouse Gallery can facilitate social interaction, multi-sensory experiences, and emotional connections accessible to all visitors, regardless of age. The exhibit design document begins with a visitor experience evaluation study, which informed a series of site-specific recommendations for connecting with intergenerational visitor groups. It concludes with design plans for a pilot exhibition, which incorporates recommendations from academic research and visitor feedback to engage with visitors of all ages. This design plan was developed in collaboration with education and collections staff at the Northwest Railway Museum.