Histolircal exhibits are a type of museum exhibit that tells a story using multiple mediums. These include re-creations, artifacts, and interactive elements that all contribute to the overall experience of visiting a museum.
Visual storytelling is a top priority for history museums of all types and sizes. It enables the curator to enlighten, educate, and titillate their audience with the best of the past.
There are many ways to accomplish this task, but the most effective is through creative storytelling. Often, the most memorable exhibitions are those that rely on innovative design, visual effects, and multisensory experiences to tell their tales.
The best history museum exhibitions make use of multiple media, ranging from video to text to digital technology and more. A well-crafted exhibition should be able to convey information through the artifacts, graphics, and photographs displayed on the wall while also encouraging visitors to think about their own personal connections to a particular period in time.
Exhibitions that do this are most commonly categorized as educational, interactive, or entertaining, and the most successful ones will engage the whole family while still being accessible to those with limited museum-going experience.
For example, the tenement museum in NYC is an immersive experience that recreates the lives of people living in the city’s poorer neighborhoods. It’s a great example of the museum as a community hub.
A surprisingly large number of museums don’t have the budget or space to do the kind of exhibit that the Met Cloisters in New York City does, but many can create an immersive experience that’s a bit more down-to-earth. For instance, the American Museum of Natural History in Washington DC has a series of interactive exhibitions that teach the audience about the science of science and how scientists work, while also providing an enjoyable and educational experience for adults and kids alike.
In short, the most important lesson of all is that history is a process, not a static fact. This means that every historical moment should be documented, interpreted, and discussed to ensure that the lessons learned are not lost in the mists of time.