The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), a major scientific and cultural institution, recently displayed its popular Mythic Creatures travelling exhibition at Holstebro Museum in Holstebro, Denmark, where the show has been instrumental in helping the museum reposition itself as a place for everyone.
The venue is an archaeological and cultural history museum with a mission to inspire curiosity about history through unique and memorable experiences, for both locals and visitors.
It reopened in 2019 following a refurbishment project lasting two and a half years, during which time it refocused its role in the community, positioning itself as a place where everyone can learn, play and explore. The aim was to widen its reach beyond the previous core audience of scholars and history experts.
Engaging a new audience
One of the key ways that Holstebro Museum achieved this goal was in its recent partnership with AMNH, bringing Dragons, Unicorns and Mermaids: Mythic Creatures to its visitors for the travelling exhibit’s first European venue.
This interactive and engaging exhibition, which is a collaboration between the American Museum of Natural History, The Field Museum, the Canadian Museum of History, the Australian National Maritime Museum and Fernbank Museum, helps host venues to connect with a broad audience, acting as an accessible ‘way in’ for those who may not traditionally visit museums.
The unique Mythic Creatures exhibition focuses on the relationship between science and legend, taking a closer look at the origins of mythic creatures and their enduring hold on the imagination. Visitors can enjoy models, cast fossils and cultural objects, as well as multimedia and interactive technology as they learn the stories behind these legendary creatures.
A perfect fit
Dragons, Unicorns and Mermaids: Mythic Creatures was an ideal choice for Holstebro Museum, as the town itself has an interesting founding myth regarding a dragon that ruled the river, blocking people from passing. According to legend, the dragon was killed by the local knight Holst; and thereafter the town is named Holst’ Bro (bridge in Danish).
There are parallels between this and the tale of St George and the Dragon. In the permanent exhibition, the museum tells the local version and has previously displayed a replica of the dragon skeleton. It also shows visitors the locations where they might have a chance to meet a mythic creature today.
Boosting visitor numbers
Mythic Creatures was popular with guests during its run at Holstebro Museum, where it helped to boost visitor numbers in spite of COVID-related disruptions and the general downward trend in museum visitorship in the country. In fact, during the exhibition’s run, the museum broke its record for most visits on any single day.
The proportion of paying visitors increased from 25% to 39%, which shows how the exhibition helped to drive visits. When the museum surveyed visitors afterwards, they found that there was a good balance of young and older audiences and an even gender balance.
Visits made by locals and first-time visitors, both key target audiences for the museum, increased. Plus, the museum was also successful in attracting families, with 45% of visits made by children.
“We have been very satisfied with the exhibition of Mythic Creatures in the museum,” says Ingeborg Svennig, the museum’s director. “This was a major investment for our small museum, and it has really proven worthwhile.
“We have both learned new things about designing exhibitions from translating and looking at the work from our professional colleagues, and then above all, we have welcomed a lot of new visitors, primarily from our local area – and I am sure they will come back to our wonderful museum at a later stage.’
Continuing its Danish tour, Mythic Creatures will be on display at the Natural History Museum in Aarhus from June 2022.
Another touring exhibition from AMNH, Microsculpture, is currently touring South America, where it has already been successful in increasing footfall at a number of shopping malls in Colombia and boosting attendance at a festival in Mexico City.
All photos ©Holstebro Museum
