High-Tech Museum Exhibits in the Twenty-First Century: An Evolution of Education and Entertainment

Today’s museums run the gamut of subjects from those centered on art to those that explore science and technology. Some are private, others public. They both educate and entertain. Based on a review of the current literature on museums and several visits to three museums of varying disciplines in the Philadelphia area, this thesis explores what it means for a museum to have interactive exhibits. It argues that the “high tech” interactive exhibits, although valuable and intriguing, appear to play only a minor role in the modern museum goers’ positive experience. Although high tech helps facilitate visitor interactivity, it is ultimately an interesting though not required way of making interactivity more accessible in the modern museum experience. Without some degree of interactivity, it becomes increasingly difficult for a museum to stay relevant and interesting to a new generation of museum attending audiences