VISITOR EXPERIENCES AT THE NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM: CONSIDERING EMERGING VALUES AND RENEWED AGENDAS

Abstract

Next to their long-revered function of preserving and presenting cultural heritage, national
museums need to take a closer look to the needs and aspirations of their visitors, in order to
increase their impact and create memorable and life-changing experiences. The present study
is based on a large survey conducted at the National Archaeological Museum of Greece, and
revisits the data so as to better understand visitors‟ motivations and preferences and offer
insights into what they find of value in their museum experience. Visitors prioritized
eminently their object experiences, referring frequently to beauty and quality, but valued as
well the knowledge, understanding and sense of connectedness gained by the direct viewing
of the antiquities and the accompanying information. The ambience of the museum was also
found to have an enabling and soothing character that enhanced the feeling of comfort and
restoration. Findings led to recommendations that could benefit the institutional agenda
towards a more value-based approach