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

The Tech Museum of Innovation on San Jose opened 
in 1998 with all of its exhibition space developed.

Earlier, it had been planned to open with half only of the 
45,000 sq ft of exhibition space filled and open, but it was 
realized that it would be quite unable to accommodate 
the projected attendance of 640,000 vis/yr.

A very crude rule of thumb is that one square foot of 
exhibition space can support a maximum of 20 visitors
per year.   So, 22,000 sq. ft would support attendance
of about 440,000 max yearly.

In fact the first year's attendance was more like 808,000,
and it was not comfortable.

Another thought ;  the Oak Ridge attendance model links
attendance more closely with exhibition area than with 
any other variable.  According to it, then, the more 
exhibition space you open with, the greater the attractive 
power of the center.

The miserable thing about it all, is that a center attracts
heavier visitation in the first several months after its open-
ing than at any other time in its life - when the staff is tired 
and inexperienced and the exhibits are breaking because 
they are not hardened etc. etc.

I say, complete as much area as you can - and have an
exhibition in the temporary space, too!

Good luck!

Peter Anderson

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