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So I wanted to read more about this as well as read through comments from the locals.  Pretty sad diatribe. Cost (high) and location (not easy & expensive parking) were constant complaints. Also go to page 20 of the comments and see what "ExploStaff" has to say from an insiders POV.  

I was also shocked at the salaries of the management. Maybe I have just worked for too many small museums but even back in NYC those types of salaries were only common in major museums.  Despite how big a name it has become it is still just another science center. I may be completely off base here but this also feels to me like "branding-gone-bad."  When design and creative gets cooped by marketing and development and senior & invested staff are pushed out then something is amiss. Mission and vision are being lost or watered down. 

I have heard the arguments for these high admission prices and they all stink.  The worst is comparing it to a ticket at a big theme park ($75-100) and how much less it is.  Apples and oranges and different expectations not to mention the disregard for a broader demographic.  Maybe someone really thinks they can survive on the tourist model of one visit a year per person, but I prefer the trend toward museums that are meant to be visited monthly, if not weekly.  Can't see that happening under this model. But please prove me wrong.

I still think the Exploratorium is a great model for science exhibits. My cookbooks are worn and tattered and I refer to them all the time.  It set a high bar for many years. 

Erich

Erich Rose Design
807 The Living End
Austin, TX 78746
512-626-9930; [log in to unmask]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/erichrose/
Erich

Erich Rose Design
807 The Living End
Austin, TX 78746
512-626-9930; [log in to unmask]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/erichrose/

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