From Silence to Experience

Museums are not just places for preserving art and history; they are also inspiring environments that offer opportunities to learn, feel, and appreciate the diversity of the world.

I remember my first visit to a museum (in Armenia) as a school-child. There was complete silence and restraint. The staff was constantly asking us to stay quiet, to speak in whispers, to avoid touching anything, and to listen to a guide delivering a complex and non engaging story.

Until today, almost nothing has changed. When visiting museums in Armenia, children are always greeted by the same atmosphere: strict rules to follow—not to touch anything, not to speak loudly and stare at the exhibits behind glass. Children focus more on avoiding mistakes than learning anything.

The importance of preserving history is, of course, entirely understandable. Of course, there are many museums, both in Armenia and around the world, where this approach is necessary. However, it cannot apply to all museums, as such an approach can make a museum more constraining than inspiring.

Experience in Scandinavian museums

Visiting Scandinavian museums offers a new and often shocking experience. Here, children are encouraged to interact, touch, try, and even play with exhibits. Through this approach, history comes to life, becoming accessible and tangible. For example, at a Medieval History Museum, visitors can “travel” back to the Middle Ages, experiencing the everyday life of the period.

This is not only a way to learn history but also an opportunity to foster empathy and curiosity. In this environment, children step beyond being passive observers and actively explore the world through experience. And the strongest proof of its success is the children’s desire to stay in the museum until the last second of closing.

Education and Entertainment Hand in Hand

Museums play a significant role in education․ They are not only inspiring but can also have a positive impact on children’s academic progress. Such environments can develop curiosity, creativity, memory, and critical thinking, ensuring that learning is actually interesting.

This is not only fun but also educational. It encourages a love for reading and creativity.

Another fascinating example is the Vasa Museum, which showcases the 17th-century warship Vasa. Visitors can see the ship and participate in exhibits that reveal its construction, sinking, and restoration. Children can learn about shipbuilding models, explore the lives of sailors, and engage in “ship restoration” games.

The Tom Tits Experiment Museum presents over 400 interactive exhibits on physics, chemistry, biology, and technology. Children can create giant soap bubbles, test mechanisms, explore optical illusions, and personally experience concepts like magnetism and gravity by conducting their own exciting experiments.

Museums for Education

Museums can and should be an essential part of education. They can stimulate learning, encourage self-expression, and develop children’s curiosity while preserving cultural values.

In museums where it is not possible to provide a fully interactive environment for obvious reasons, special “experiential zones” could be created to capture children’s attention with replicas or digital displays.

Such changes, alongside specialized active learning initiatives, could breathe new life into this field. Schools can also collaborate with museums, using them as complementary educational spaces to enrich their curriculum.

Lilit Avagyan