Archaeological Open-Air Museum

Museum Practice in Archaeological Open-Air Museums

Around the world, there are hundreds of museums in the open-air, with reconstructed houses, based on archaeological sources. These are so-called archaeological open-air museums. They tell the story of people like you and me, how they struggled with daily life, made inventions or witnessed important moments in (pre)history. These museums explain what the world was like before our times and what we can learn from the past.

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In 2008, EXARC defined what an archaeological open-air museum is. This definition has become widely accepted, the phrase commonly used:

An archaeological open-air museum is a non-profit permanent institution with outdoor true to scale architectural reconstructions primarily based on archaeological sources. It holds collections of intangible heritage resources and provides an interpretation of how people lived and acted in the past; this is accomplished according to sound scientific methods for the purposes of education, study and enjoyment of its visitors.

Author(s)

Pia Bach

Thit Birk Petersen

Publication Date

2019-05-21

EXARC Journal Issue 2019/2

2018 EXARC in Kernave
***For over 25 years The Medieval Centre/Middelaldercentret in Nykøbing F. Denmark has used volunteers to inhabit the reconstructed medieval town of Sundkøbing. To combine the use of volunteers and living history is not easy or something that happens spontaneously. It is hard work and requires patience, strength and firmness, but also...

Read more about How to Make a Medieval Town Come Alive – the Use of Volunteers in Living History

From Gastonia to Gotha: My Thoughts and Impressions on doing Museum Work

Author(s)

Doug Meyer

Publication Date

2018-11-15

EXARC Journal Issue 2018/4

What I consider my first real museum work came from a message on my phone on January 9th from Ann Tippitt, the Director of the Schiele Museum in Gastonia, North Carolina. Ann asked if I was interested in outfitting a Catawba Indian mannequin for the exhibit. Ann wanted a complete set of clothes, weapons and gear...

Read more about From Gastonia to Gotha: My Thoughts and Impressions on doing Museum Work

History in Motion: Colonial Williamsburg

Author(s)

Nikola Krstović

Publication Date

2018-05-22

EXARC Journal Issue 2018/2

Boundaries are always an interesting topic. In the framework of the current heritage buzz word decolonization, boundaries might also represent what is “colonised” in every cultural enterprise, or to be more specific, how and why some form of power obtruded its authority, and to what extent. Like almost all other museums, Colonial Williamsburg deals with the past. The past has its own boundaries that...

Read more about History in Motion: Colonial Williamsburg

Recommended Literature

AHRENS, C., 1990. Wiederaufgebaute Vorzeit. Archäologische Freilichtmuseen in Europa. Neumünster: Wachholz Verlag.

BLOCK, S.R., 2004. Why Nonprofits fail. Overcoming Founder’s Syndrome, Fundphobia and other Obstacles to Success. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.

DIAMOND., J., LUKE, J.J. & UTTAL, D.H., 2009. Practical Evaluation Guide, Tools for Museums and other Informal Educational Settings, Lanham: Altamira.

FALK, J.H. & DIERKING, L.D., 2000. Learning from Museums, Visitor Experiences and the Making of Meaning, Lanham: Altamira Press.

GOODACRE, B. & BALDWIN, G., 2002. Living the Past: Reconstruction, Recreation, Re-enactment and Education at Museums and Historical Sites, London: Middlesex University Press.

HART, J. & MERRIT, E.E., 2005. Accreditation Resource Kit, Washington DC: American Association of Museums.

HOLTORF, C., 2005. From Stonehenge to Las Vegas. Archaeology as Popular Culture, Walnut Creek: AltaMira Press.

MANNEBY, H., PRASCH, H. & HOFMANN, R. (eds), 2002. Guidelines to Improve Museum Quality and Standards: Proceedings of an ICR Project 1999-2002, Bayreuth: International Committee for Regional Museums (ICR).

MASON, T. & WEEKS, J., 2002. From Australia to Zanzibar, Museum Standards Schemes Overseas. A council for museums, archives and libraries, London: Resource.

McKERCHER, B. & du CROS, H., 2002. Cultural tourism. The Partnership between Tourism and Cultural Heritage Management, New York: The Haworth Hospitality Press.

PAARDEKOOPER, R.P., 2012. The Value of an Archaeological Open-Air Museum is in its Use, Leiden: Sidestone.

RUNYARD, S. & FRENCH, Y., 1999. Marketing & Public Relations Handbook for Museums, Galleries & Heritage Attractions, London: The Stationary Office.

STONE, P.G. & PLANEL, P.G. (eds), 1999. The Constructed Past. Experimental Archaeology, Education and the Public, Oxford: Routledge.

House of Questions

Delphi House of Questions was an EU Culture 2000 project by three EXARC members. Under this umbrella, other EXARC members as well collected and answered the most frequently asked questions by visitors to archaeological open-air museums. The largest part of this collection of questions you can find here – as many of them still carry importance. In most cases we offer the questions both in the original language and in English.

See all Questions

Museum Practice in Archaeological Open-Air Museums

Promoting AOAM in just 7 minutes

Featured EXARC Members Archaeological Open-Air Museums

Featured in the EXARC Journal

Archaeological Open-Air Museum

How to Make a Medieval Town Come Alive – the Use of Volunteers in Living History

From Gastonia to Gotha: My Thoughts and Impressions on doing Museum Work

History in Motion: Colonial Williamsburg

Worldwide Map of Archaeological Open-Air Museums

EXARC

Social Media

Creative Commons Licence

Museum Practice in Archaeological Open-Air Museums

Promoting AOAM in just 7 minutes

Featured EXARC Members Archaeological Open-Air Museums

Featured in the EXARC Journal

Archaeological Open-Air Museum

How to Make a Medieval Town Come Alive – the Use of Volunteers in Living History

From Gastonia to Gotha: My Thoughts and Impressions on doing Museum Work

History in Motion: Colonial Williamsburg

Worldwide Map of Archaeological Open-Air Museums

EXARC

Social Media

Creative Commons Licence

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