ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************

Typically this kind of undertaking requires careful planning. Here are 
the steps I would recommend:
1. What is your market area? what audience do you plan to serve? What 
need do you plan to fill?
2.  What other cultural institutions are in your market area? are there 
synergies or niches which you could exploit?
3. Conversely, what kind of projections in  terms of attendance. Will it 
be mostly school groups? families?
4. Have you crafted a vision statement and charter?
5. Will you be program oriented of exhibition oriented? programs and 
exhibitions should be planned at the same time so you can make the most 
of your resources and staff. Include collaborations with school 
districts, government, outreach programs, and how all this will be marketed.
6. Don't forget to plan technology infrastructure and ways to maintain 
it as part to your planning. It is much more expensive to do later.
7. Many museums also do market research and/or focus groups to help 
understand what concerns and interested are in the community.

Once your vision is clear and you know how this institution will fit 
into the community, then the nuts and bolts stuff will be easier to 
parameterize.

As far as exhibits:
- Include the cost of maintaining the exhibits not just the cost of 
building them. It is amazing what visitors can break. Be cautious of 
high tech solutions for simple problems. If you do not plan to have an 
IT staff avoid computer interactives, do more mechanical and electrical 
stuff. Keep it simple and effective.
- Nobody reads labels. Start with that assumption and you will be more 
successful
- Determine a time frame for replacing exhibits and build them 
accordingly. Some cutting edge science will change quickly, making you 
exhibit on that subject seem old quickly. Other themes are universal and 
timeless. build them to last.
- Remember that science centers are supposed to engage visitors. Try to 
balance didactic and experiential aspects of the exhibitry. Visitors 
should be doing something not just watching something.

Best of luck to you in sunny Thousand Oaks!

Doctor Discovery wrote:
> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related 
> institutions.
> ***************************************************************************** 
>
>
> As we plan for our brick-and-mortar museum, we would like to hear 
> other's experiences in the following areas of exhibit planning:
>
> 1. What kinds of exhibit grouping/galleries have you used and does it 
> make a difference?
> 2. What cost per square foot for exhibits should we plan on for:
>     a. Normal exhibit areas
>     b. A Young Child Space
>     c. An outdoor Science Park
> 3. What percentage of total project cost goes for the exhibits?
>
> TIA for  your help.
> If  you reply off line, we will post a summary when the dust has settled.
>
> Linda & Cathy
> Discovery Center for Science & Technology
> Thousand Oaks, CA, USA
>
> ***********************************************************************
> More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
> Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at 
> http://www.astc.org.
> To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
> message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
> [log in to unmask]
>


-- 
Stephen Miles Uzzo
Director of Technology
New York Hall of Science
47-01 111th Street
Flushing Meadows Corona Park
New York 11368     U.S.A.
v. +1.718.699.0005 x377
f. +1.718.699.1341
http://www.nyscience.org

***********************************************************************
More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at http://www.astc.org.
To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
[log in to unmask]