Open-Air

An open-air museum is a type of museum that is outdoors. It is a usually village type setting. The first open-air museums were started in Scandinavia near the end of the nineteenth century. The concept soon spread throughout Europe and North America. Open-air museums are a good way for a visitor to get the whole experience of what it would have been like in a certain time period.

Old World Wisconsin in Eagle, Wisconsin is an open-air museum. The museum recreates the farms / settlements established by European immigrants. “Teams” of oxen and horses working in the fields are part of the exhibit, as well as farms preparing meals over wood-burning stoves.

It is usually more entertaining then just walking around a typical museum that is in a building. I think looking at items behind glass and not getting that interaction is one of the biggest problems traditional museums have. The people that run them know that, that is why you will see museums trying to create some kind of environment for its visitors.

I remember how cool the old Milwaukee and the rainforest sections of Milwaukee Public Museum was when I was a child. The last time I was there was about a year ago and I was more then disappointed. Parts of that Museum are pathetic! Everything seems to have a nice coat of dust. For crying out loud spend a day going around using a Swiffer duster.

Also most all of the “displays” seem out of date, as far as the looks. They do not utilizing technology. Milwaukee Public Museum needs a major face-lift. But do not get me wrong; traditional museums can just be as good as open-air museum. Both offer something unique, they both have to be up kept though to keep people coming.