Last year I took a trip to the Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace in London to see Leonardo, Anatomist, an exhibition of the work of Leonardo da Vinci and the largest ever of his studies of the human body.
You can never be sure how you’re going to react to things until they happen, but I was excited and moved to be in the presence of so many original pieces of work by this extraordinary man. The thought that his hands had held the parchments and created the models was mesmerising.
This engagement was possible because we know so much about Leonardo as a person and the interpretation and curation of the exhibition reflected it.
The sense of excitement you get when you make a connection with something authentic is most powerful when that connection is also with another human being and it’s this which can make the difference between a good visitor experience and a great one.
Having authenticity and human engagement at the heart of an attraction creates an energy which ensures it’s success and in this issue we examine two new visitor attractions – the recently opened NASA Space Shuttle Atlantis Exhibit at the Kennedy Space Station in Florida, US (page 44) and the Mary Rose in Portsmouth UK, the museum which tells the story of the life and times of Henry VIII’s battleship (page 52).
Both these new attractions concern themselves with stories of human endeavour and adventuring – both represented cutting edge technology in the eras from which they came – and both engage the emotions through the stories they tell of the people who were involved and the authenticity of the artefacts which are on display.
At the Kennedy Space Station, the humanising of the story is continued by docents who worked on the construction of the space shuttles and are there to tell their stories – one explained to me that she’d been part of the team that stitched the fabric wadding which lines the engines. The idea that you can sew a space shuttle was fascinating and unexpected. Visits from astronauts are also arranged to enable visitors to meet the people who made it happen.
At the Mary Rose, one focus has been on telling the stories of the people who lived on board the ship and displaying the possessions they had on board with them the fateful day she sank – this approach makes the whole experience so much more than a dry collection of artefacts.
Connecting with people across time and feeling a sense of authenticity are two key differences that transform a visitor experience and elevate it above a dry and dusty collection which gives no idea as to who conceived and made the majority of items on display.
Liz Terry, editor, twitter: @elizterry
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2013 issue 3
Editor's letter: Authenticity
Having authenticity and human engagement at the heart of an attraction
creates an energy which ensures its success
Profile: Terri Irwin
The conservationist, social entrepreneur
and operator of Australia Zoo describes
how she and her late husband, Steve,
built up their business and how she and
her children are continuing his legacy
Analysis: Riding High
The TEA/AECOM theme index report
for 2012 shows that the industry's
continuing to do well with recordbreaking
attendances for many parks
Waterparks: Tapping the experts
The merging of waterparks and theme
parks, shared experiences and multiple
sensation rides are among the trends,
as we find out from the operators
Top Team: Class act
The first themed entertainment design
degree launched last September at SCAD.
The team behind the programme describe
their inspiration and the challenges
Space centre: Space age
Space Shuttle Atlantis has come home
to rest at Kennedy Space Centre Visitor
Complex. COO Bill Moore tells us how
people react when they see the shuttle
Mystery shopper: The cat's whiskers?
Sanrio Hello Kitty Town is among the
attractions at the new Puteri Harbour
Family Theme Park in Malaysia. We pay
a visit to learn more about the offer
Heritage: Mary Rose Museum
King Henry VIII's war ship is brought
back to life in an exciting new museum,
which takes visitors back to the day
she sank, almost 500 years ago
Design project profile: All hands on deck
Mary Rose Museum's design team
tell us how they created a building
that complemented, but didn't
compete with, the famous ship and
the challenges of working around
the hot box it's being conserved in
3D/4D/5D: Work dimension
We find out how film distributors work
with operators and look at some of
the new products that are available
on the market for attractions
Show preview: EAS 2013
The suppliers reveal the products and
projects they'll be showcasing in Paris
Last year I took a trip to the Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace in London to see Leonardo, Anatomist, an exhibition of the work of Leonardo da Vinci and the largest ever of his studies of the human body.
You can never be sure how you’re going to react to things until they happen, but I was excited and moved to be in the presence of so many original pieces of work by this extraordinary man. The thought that his hands had held the parchments and created the models was mesmerising.
This engagement was possible because we know so much about Leonardo as a person and the interpretation and curation of the exhibition reflected it.
The sense of excitement you get when you make a connection with something authentic is most powerful when that connection is also with another human being and it’s this which can make the difference between a good visitor experience and a great one.
Having authenticity and human engagement at the heart of an attraction creates an energy which ensures it’s success and in this issue we examine two new visitor attractions – the recently opened NASA Space Shuttle Atlantis Exhibit at the Kennedy Space Station in Florida, US (page 44) and the Mary Rose in Portsmouth UK, the museum which tells the story of the life and times of Henry VIII’s battleship (page 52).
Both these new attractions concern themselves with stories of human endeavour and adventuring – both represented cutting edge technology in the eras from which they came – and both engage the emotions through the stories they tell of the people who were involved and the authenticity of the artefacts which are on display.
At the Kennedy Space Station, the humanising of the story is continued by docents who worked on the construction of the space shuttles and are there to tell their stories – one explained to me that she’d been part of the team that stitched the fabric wadding which lines the engines. The idea that you can sew a space shuttle was fascinating and unexpected. Visits from astronauts are also arranged to enable visitors to meet the people who made it happen.
At the Mary Rose, one focus has been on telling the stories of the people who lived on board the ship and displaying the possessions they had on board with them the fateful day she sank – this approach makes the whole experience so much more than a dry collection of artefacts.
Connecting with people across time and feeling a sense of authenticity are two key differences that transform a visitor experience and elevate it above a dry and dusty collection which gives no idea as to who conceived and made the majority of items on display.
Liz Terry, editor, twitter: @elizterry
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2013 issue 3
Editor's letter: Authenticity
Having authenticity and human engagement at the heart of an attraction
creates an energy which ensures its success
Profile: Terri Irwin
The conservationist, social entrepreneur
and operator of Australia Zoo describes
how she and her late husband, Steve,
built up their business and how she and
her children are continuing his legacy
Analysis: Riding High
The TEA/AECOM theme index report
for 2012 shows that the industry's
continuing to do well with recordbreaking
attendances for many parks
Waterparks: Tapping the experts
The merging of waterparks and theme
parks, shared experiences and multiple
sensation rides are among the trends,
as we find out from the operators
Top Team: Class act
The first themed entertainment design
degree launched last September at SCAD.
The team behind the programme describe
their inspiration and the challenges
Space centre: Space age
Space Shuttle Atlantis has come home
to rest at Kennedy Space Centre Visitor
Complex. COO Bill Moore tells us how
people react when they see the shuttle
Mystery shopper: The cat's whiskers?
Sanrio Hello Kitty Town is among the
attractions at the new Puteri Harbour
Family Theme Park in Malaysia. We pay
a visit to learn more about the offer
Heritage: Mary Rose Museum
King Henry VIII's war ship is brought
back to life in an exciting new museum,
which takes visitors back to the day
she sank, almost 500 years ago
Design project profile: All hands on deck
Mary Rose Museum's design team
tell us how they created a building
that complemented, but didn't
compete with, the famous ship and
the challenges of working around
the hot box it's being conserved in
3D/4D/5D: Work dimension
We find out how film distributors work
with operators and look at some of
the new products that are available
on the market for attractions
Show preview: EAS 2013
The suppliers reveal the products and
projects they'll be showcasing in Paris
OMA has completed a major transformation of New York's New Museum, creating a larger
cultural campus that combines expanded exhibition spaces with learning, performance,
hospitality and public programming.
A US$50 million (£44.2 million, €51.2 million) transformation of Chicago's historic McCormick
Mansion has created a new destination that combines live magic, immersive theatre, dining and
private membership under one roof.
The Montana Historical Society has officially celebrated the opening of its new Montana
Heritage
Center, a US$107 million (£79 million, €92 million) destination that combines immersive
storytelling with cutting-edge audiovisual technology to bring the sta
San Antonio Zoo has reported a US$283 million economic impact for 2025, following a decade-
long transformation programme that has seen almost US$200 million invested into the Texas
attraction.
Plans for the AU$180 million redevelopment of Reef HQ Aquarium in Townsville, Australia, are
progressing, with the project set to transform the attraction into a global centre for reef
education and conservation.
Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Mubadala Capital has made a binding, fully financed
€1 billion
offer to acquire Pierre and Vacances SA, the European holiday resort operator behind the
continental European Center Parcs business.
Disney has reaffirmed its commitment to investing US$30 billion in its US parks and cruise
business by 2033, using new America250 celebrations to underline the role its attractions play
in supporting jobs, tourism and economic growth.
Expo 2030 Riyadh is being planned as a permanent visitor destination, with organisers
confirming the six-million-square-metre site will become a Global Village after the event closes.
The owner of one of Australia's best-known waterparks has acquired a major competitor,
creating a new attractions business spanning two of the country's largest visitor destinations.
The Toverland theme park in the Netherlands has announced a €98m expansion programme
that will add a resort, new attractions and staff facilities as it pursues plans to become a multi-
day destination.
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