So You Want to Start a Museum

A Guide for Future Museum Founders

Gil Mangels

CEO, Miracle of America Museum

Printed, published, and sold by the

Miracle of America Museum

36094 Memory Ln.

Polson, Montana

59860

© All rights reserved 2026

❖ FOREWARD ❖

More often than not, you cross paths with a collector who thinks, "I've got all this neat stuff, I should start a museum." It was a relatively popular idea back in the late 40s into the 60s. Little mom and pop museums or curio shops were easy to find on any road trip. Often a one or two room building, garage, or even part of a house had a lot of neat collectibles and usually had a free will donation jar by the door. Sometimes it would even be a barn or a large tin roof shed housing numerous tractors and other related farm equipment. Many times, while there was duplication in most of them, there were usually a few artifacts that were special to the area or to the founders themselves. Different folks thought of ways to support their hobby by adding a retail section to their business or charging admission.

Then, perhaps, one of the spouses passes away and it becomes too much to handle, or the building falls into disrepair and the collection accumulates the inevitable dust. If there is no one to carry on your neat little collection, what then? Perhaps some visitors were covetous of certain items and you would find them missing days or even months later.

With my experience as a collector of over 70 years and a founder and museum curator of over 40 years, I hope to give you food for thought, things to do, things to avoid and a myriad of good and bad experiences that I have had. Some will make you laugh, but some will probably make you cry, or at least cause you to shake your head.

Even if you've had an established museum for years, there should be something useful in this booklet.

❖ CHAPTER 1 ❖

WHAT IS A MUSEUM?

What is a museum in our own eyes or in someone else’s eyes? To many, it is a gathered, protected, displayed collection of collectibles with about as much variety as sand on the seashore. ‘Museum’ means different things and has different purposes to different people or groups of people.

It is eye opening and entertaining to do some research on the internet. You could almost spend a lifetime by merely typing in a town name with the word museum. Occasionally if you are really serious, you might use synonyms like “collections” or ”memorials”.

Prepare to be shocked at the thousands of museums all over the world. Perhaps you won’t want the kids to join you as you see the numerous XXX rated museums of sex toys, and yes, there are several, and the numerous brothel museums that get prime listing in some tourist slicks. (a slick is what I refer to as a travel guide to help tourists find the attractions in a particular locale)

I have seen or become aware of entities in which I felt the label, museum, was misused. For a myriad of types of museums, an excellent source is Atlas Obscura. They don’t pigeon-hole the definition of museum to one thing. I view them on Facebook. Although to my knowledge, we’ve never been in an Atlas Obscura Facebook article, I know we are on their site as it has brought visitors to us.

Many museums have a specific mission, emphasis, goal, or presentation. Then there are what are referred to as “sterile” museums which most art museums would be labeled as. That is not a demeaning title, as there is a place for each different style of museum. They have their own following. Their collection pieces are usually displayed quite a distance from other pieces and usually at the optimum viewing height of approximately 3’ to 5’ from the floor. There might also be display islands spaced around the room in a non-crowded area. In contrast, a room where they might have a dozen or so pieces of art on display, a non-sterile museum like ours, using the same size room, might have two or three thousand items on display. Different strokes for different folks. Visitors tell us that they can see so much in ours without having to move so often.

A trend in a lot of small town museums is to have a pleasant mixture of many things used in their community. Usually, they can attract a varied clientele. Many are doing an excellent job of segregating items by using outside buildings or dividers, so as not to look cluttered. At the Miracle of America Museum at Polson, Montana, of which I am the founder, CEO, collector, restorer, curator, ad-infinatum, we tend in some areas to be a bit cluttered. Even with 40 buildings in the pioneer village section, there just never seems to be enough space. Sometimes items are donated, even left on the doorstep that you must immediately deal with. I may throw things over the security fence, so to speak, to get it into its correct category until I can work it in at a later date.

Many museums are what I like to call “specialty museums”, with a specific narrow focus. Some examples are high dollar collections of Autos and related artifacts or motorcycle museums and related memorabilia. Then there are doll museums, tractor museums, nautical/maritime museums. In the west, a prime example of a specialty nautical museum is the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, Oregon. Other specialty museums include firearm museums such as the Cody Firearms Museum in Cody, Wyoming and out east is the Museum of Bibles. I hope this gives you a few examples of the many specialty museums that exist.

You can find museums in smaller towns with a potpourri of collections, and sometimes you can find a gem hidden away in an obscure place in a big city, like this hidden gem in Pocatello, ID called the Museum of Clean.

Museum of Clean, Pocatello ID

Next are children’s museums. Often, although they are referred to as such, it is more of a playground setting. I used to take my grandchildren to the Zoo and OMSI in Portland, OR which had excellent learning activities. Many others have specific activity times and interactive items. Since many of today’s youth demand instant gratification, it might be important to integrate some kid friendly things into your museum plans. At our museum, many parents bringing their children have fond memories of when they came through the museum as children themselves. Of course, being open and continually improving and expanding for over 40 years (as of this writing), ups the probability of another generation becoming involved.

Historic sites are occasionally referred to as museums and included on travel guides, even if they are open to the public a very few days out of the year.

Fort Connah historic buildings. Photo by Doug Stevens

Libraries are sometimes referred to as museums, usually open to the public but others, by appointment only. A prime example of an appointment-only library is the American Journey Experience research library in Irving, Texas.

The vast array of museums and public perception of the term museum can be a blessing and a curse. If a couple of attractions down the road previously seen by visitors didn’t meet their expectations, the family may not want to stop at “another museum”. On the other hand, some travelers have an itinerary to visit every museum on their planned route. Museum coalitions can help the whole, but sometimes a

Poster for the Mission Valley Mountain Museums Consortium

recommendation to see others on the brochure might backfire if the one you recommended happens to not hold regular hours. Most travelers will not call for an appointment and will drive on by. In sharing info about a museum that is a lot smaller, I will say, “they aren’t as large as we are, but each museum has something rare and special to their area.” Or, “while ours is very diversified, that museum has displays specific to these particular topics.” Be sure and be aware of the other attractions in your area. I try to visit the local museums or sites at least once a year, preferably early on in the season. Your visitors will appreciate the knowledgeable tips.

I loved going to museums and curio shops as a child and having accumulated several old cars and tractors, I lined them up along a quarter mile pasture on my farm. While I was technically putting them on public display, it was more for my enjoyment than for displaying to the public.

Some passersby felt they needed a part of my collection for their own and wouldn’t hesitate to take home a souvenir in the form of a radiator cap, door handle, or even a complete door. Theft breeds discouragement and can make you bitter. Thankfully, thieves were in the minority and at the opposite extreme were the friends and neighbors that liked what I was doing and brought items and invited me to clean out their old barn or look through their scrap-iron pile.

Sometimes it was just parts, but hey, they might be useful in restoring similar machines. My collection started growing. I didn’t call my collection a museum, but over the years I have seen similar collections that did use the name. One thing that surprised me, was that other collectors considered me a parts source and wanted to trade or offer such a ridiculously high price that I might sell to them.

While I still have many of the items I first started collecting or restoring, I had no purpose in my collecting. It was more of a spare-parts business with glorified lawn ornaments. It would be several false-starts later until I considered myself a real museum.

Now that you realize you are not the first to think, “I think I’ll start a museum”, how should you go about it?

❖ CHAPTER 2 ❖

WHY START A MUSEUM?

The title of this chapter may seem like a simplistic question, but it is very important to do a lot of soul searching before you open your museum to the public. Your reputation might depend on the answer.

To be totally honest, with all the turmoil in the world today, I wouldn’t dream of starting a museum. Instead, I’d just have fun with my stuff. Don’t let me discourage you from pursuing your dream, and of course make your decision based on thoughts you might have while reading this book. In the end, it is your life.

I suggest you give serious thought to volunteering to an already established museum and/or offer to serve on their board of directors. Many museums are seriously lacking both. After a year or two, you will get a taste for the fact that it is not all fun and games. Recently, on a trip back from a neighboring city, I stopped in to visit with the director of a high-profile family museum. At 11 AM on a Friday, the sign said they would be closed for 3 days because of lack of help. Further towards home lies a small town museum that is only open from 11 AM to 4 PM and then only on certain days in the summer time. This particular museum still has days without any visitation during the busiest summer months. Definitely food for thought.

When speaking with museum owners, be forewarned that some don’t like to admit they might have made a mistake in opening their doors, and might keep smiling even if they are drowning in debt or personnel problems. I claim to be a cross between a pessimist and a realist.

As most collectors will tell you, they enjoy finding, collecting, spending time with, and otherwise having joy in ownership. Granted, some like the joy and adventure of the hunt. Some want to have bragging rights with their friends. To some it is a big ego boost to own a particular item, especially if it is a rare one-of-a-kind treasure. It is this category that usually ends up with high-end, specialty, and high price museums. That in itself is not so horrible and the collections will bring joy to a certain clientele, but unless you are a well-established billionaire in these modern times, finding goodies has become extremely competitive and expensive.

While the MOAM is over forty years old, I had earlier attempts and desires to start a museum twenty years before that. As my collection grew from spare-parts with glorified lawn ornaments into primitive artifacts, guns, farm machinery, tractors and other neat things, I thought about starting a museum of my own. One day, I decided to have an auction because I was overwhelmed with stuff! Remember, this was over sixty years ago, in the late 1960s. While it brought in a little money and helped clean up the property, I disappointed some of those folks who had sold me items and those who had donated certain items. They were discouraged thinking someone was profiting by selling off “their” items.

Perhaps a lesson here is to start a museum for the right reason. If you are going to be a dealer, be up front about it. Don’t say you are going to start a museum when the intent is to collect goodies and then market them on eBay. You will find as you collect that you get some duplicate items and want to upgrade and get rid of the lesser quality one. Communicate with your donors, they are usually happy to see the display improved.

Some museums, as alluded to earlier, are just collections, albeit fantastic ones. Others have a specific goal in mind and want to educate. Would you be better off putting your vintage petroliana in a man-cave where you could invite your buddies? Would it be a smarter idea to keep your outstanding collection of quilts in a basement sewing studio and invite your quilt club over once a month? Or are you ready to put a purpose behind your collection and start a museum? I’m not here to discourage you from starting your museum, merely giving you some lessons I learned along the way.

A good purpose comes through thoughtful preparation. It is something that will sustain you through the hard times and give you a roadmap for the future. It should be something that you felt strongly would make the world a better place because your museum is in it.

Having a strong purpose will help when opposition comes your way. When we founded our museum, we opted to remain historically accurate, which I believe is important for a history museum. We have certain collectibles which show the dark side as well as the good side of our history. There are those who tear down historical statues and demand certain historical items be removed from display because they are not politically correct. These attacks can be a pain to endure. If you don’t agree with dissenters, be prepared to be branded a “racist”. In my opinion, if you can’t commit to being historically correct, or strong in your resolve, it is better to be satisfied with a private collection.

I have a saying, “whatever direction you are facing, you have your back on half the world.” It is extremely hard to be neutral in such a divided atmosphere, but the more neutral you are, the more visitors you will attract.

In my case, I don’t follow my own advice. Our museum has a polarizing historical mission. We are trying to reinstill a belief in America and we stress the freedoms we enjoy here in our nation in many of our displays. In spite of our non-neutral stance, many visitors tell me that while they disagreed with our beliefs, they loved the museum. This is where a strong purpose has worked to our advantage. If you can show why you have collected an item and how it relates to your purpose, the item and purpose work together and can stand for themselves.

Before you paint your museum sign, I urge you to take a trip and visit other museums and talk with curators or owners. Get some ideas as to why they come to work everyday. Decide for yourself the ‘why’ of your museum. Ground yourself in your purpose and you will be able to withstand the long work ahead of you.

❖ CHAPTER 3 ❖

WHERE TO ESTABLISH

A MUSEUM?

Years before my late first wife Joanne and I started the present Miracle of America Museum at Polson, Montana, we made many trips to different locales, visited other museums, watched traffic flows, signage visibility, parking, etc.

The thing that stood out as most important was, LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION.

If you have decided to start a museum or are contemplating enlarging or moving to a new location, listen up. Attend a few city council meetings as an observer, and get a feel for what I might call a “preservation attitude.” Learn some history about the attitudes of council members for the location you are considering. Are they the type that would like to see historical monuments razed or removed to make room for a parking lot or another store or a bar? I realize city councils change every once in a while, but take a look around town and see if city pride is more than just talk before Election Day.

Originally, the collection I displayed was down a gravel road a half of a mile off the main highway which had no turning lanes. Not good. Later, I started a small museum in conjunction with my machine and welding shop about twenty miles north of our present location. We advertised a bit in the papers and had a sign on the highway, but only rarely received visitors. You see, while it was a secondary state highway and a major route to Glacier Park, it was a narrow highway also with no turn lanes, and we were not visible from the road. Our private road, while nice and wide, was downhill and not very passable in the winter. It was still a private hobby-museum so the low visitor count didn’t bother us too much, but we realized if we wanted to grow, we needed a better LOCATION.

We started looking in earnest from BigFork to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Many sites were too expensive or crowded. Some had issues with traffic flowing from several areas in chaotic patterns. We even put some earnest money on a mobile home in Hurricane, Utah, near St. George over 893 miles away while trying to buy a nice field abutting the Virgin River. We figured that would be perfect for setting up a water wheel to power some pioneer equipment. Unfortunately, the government had other plans. River water use was prohibited to all machinery even if it wouldn’t affect air quality and flow. We got our earnest money back and started looking closer to the Mission Valley.

When I first took Joanne to Helena, we both fell in love with the Old Broadwater Hotel on the west outskirts of town, even though it was in disrepair. We tried to buy it, but the owner was in a squabble with the city and bowed-his-back and said the hotel could rot into the ground before he would allow anybody to buy it and restore it.

Old Broadwater Hotel in 1974

Courtesy of Scott Nelson - The Bridgeworks Conservancy

We looked at the old tepee burner building in Ravalli. Beautiful, but pretty narrow and cut in two by the active Montana Rail link railroad. The old Ravalli church property was pretty small and not available either.

Other things to consider are available utilities, snow removal, fire danger, flooding, and dust control. Are you by a busy highway? Sometimes drivers seem to enjoy making the windows rattle with their unmuffled engine brakes.

Next we looked at the old Consolidated Dairy building on the south edge of Ronan. It was reasonably priced, but there was no room for expansion and the Cenex Propane tanks adjoining the property made me nervous.

A very important thing to think about if you are looking for museum property is how people will drive into your parking lot, called traffic flow. Some might think that an intersection is a good location. It might work well for a restaurant or a gas station, but those are often viewed as have-to stops. Many tourists will not want to fight getting off or back on the highway or street just to see your museum, especially huge motorhomes or rigs with a load in tow.

Consider traffic coming from both directions. Are there turn lanes making it safe? Are there big trucks speeding through causing danger? How about ample parking and turn around or pull throughs for those larger vehicles? Maneuvering for motor home and trailers is also tricky and a level parking lot without steep hills is the best. Think about whether there will be a shared access parking lot which might make your museum into a thoroughfare for neighboring businesses?

At this point in my career, I was the owner of a shop called ‘East Shore Machine Works and Welding’ on the east shore of flathead lake at Yellow Bay. I had my welding shop for fifteen years and had continued collecting.

Just south of the tourist town of Polson at the junction of Hwy Montana 35 and US Hwy 93 there were three existing buildings along US Hwy 93 about three-quarters of a mile long.

The first structure on the property was a welding shop that was about the same square footage as mine. Next, was a mobile home staging building, Olsen Homes. Further on down was an antique store which would later become a restaurant. And best of all, it was a stone’s throw from US Hwy 93 South going out of Polson, a wonderful LOCATION.

The shop seemed reasonable enough, but was not large enough for a museum. So I asked the owner of the adjoining property, Wally Olsen, if he would be willing to sell off a portion which adjoined the shop property. His reply shocked us, “Why don’t you buy it all?” he asked. We had priced some bare acreage nearby, and here both the shop property and the Olsen Homes property with all the building improvements totaled a price lower than anything else we had examined. There was easy highway access from both directions, and the parking area was level.

We were SOLD! We purchased the machine shop, and the Olsen Homes lot with high hopes.

Another important thing to be aware of are plans in the community related to restrictive codes, road maintenance, and the possibility of a bypass that might put you out of sight, hence, out of mind? This is very important, as you want to be visible from the road.

Sometimes, despite the most thorough research, the government steps in and throws a wrench in all your best laid plans. We had heard rumors of a plan to widen the highway south of Polson, but felt pretty safe from interference due to the vacant property across the highway. Unfortunately, highway design engineers, for the most part, could care less about a museum, and most public meetings don’t have a session for dialog, only taking written comments which I imagine end up in the waste bin.

You can probably guess what happened. The highway commission wanted to take our parking lot and large reader board sign away. I made a phone call to the highway commissioner and pointed out that as well as my slapping them with a big lawsuit that they would also have to move a long-ago established powerline system. So they conceded and used the existing highway as a frontage road and made a separate divided highway with turn lanes across from us. They allowed us to name the frontage road “Memory Lane.” Perfect, or so I thought.

Unfortunately, I must have made an enemy of the highway engineer because he had the landscaping engineer put up high mounds of earth between the frontage road and the highway, completely blocking our museum from sight. He called it aesthetics. I called it unnatural and a few other uncomplimentary adjectives, and also called my congresswoman. She went to bat for me and eventually got them to lower one of the mounds five feet and kept them from building another one that was planned to be three feet higher. They also seeded the mounds with native grasses including noxious weeds that they were supposed to keep mowed, which they do not. When it is high enough that I can’t see one of the lanes of traffic, I have to mow it myself. On the bright side, the mounds make perfect staging areas for our two-day live history event. We park three of our vintage vehicles on the mounds with signs and it does give great visibility.

Gamma Goat with Live History sign on the highway median

So, you see the importance of a lot of research, keeping on your toes, knowing who to trust in the government, and becoming vocal when necessary.

In retrospect, the only thing I would have done differently was buy both lots adjoining our property to the east, instead of just the one. Not to make our museum larger, it already tires many folks out by walking the four and a half acres we now have, but simply to have elbow room for storage and larger items.

We feel really blessed to have found the property we have, buying it in 1985, and truthfully, as far as property, visibility, access, etc. I would not trade it for any parcel in the county.

I realize with inflation and skyrocketing prices, not everyone will find the perfect property, but consider all aspects of location, not just price.

Remember, a location can make or break a museum. If no one can find you, no one will visit. If you don’t have enough room to expand, you will be stuck with the size you started out with. Plan for the future and adapt as needed.

❖ CHAPTER 4 ❖

HOW DO YOU START

A MUSEUM?

Now that you are passionate about pursuing your museum, you have a firm sense of ‘why’, and a location you can work with, let’s talk about how to get everything together.

Does the lot you are working with have a building already, or are you going to have to build something for yourself?

With the closing or merging of some businesses, you might look into an existing building, perhaps the closing of a big box store or auto dealership. We had an ideal situation, a pre-existing building with cubicles that had previously shown home building samples like sinks, doors, windows and carpeting. We didn’t have to do a lot of modification to meet our display needs.

MOAM toy room with original display alcoves

‘How’ depends a lot on the type of museum you are thinking of establishing. Another big factor is budget. Some buildings might be in receivership and be a burden to the title holder and you might get a good deal. Be sure and always thoroughly check on covenants, codes, variances, overhead, utilities, and anything that might be a liability.

We’ll touch on funding issues in another chapter, but suffice it to say, you’ll need a large bank roll for property and facilities. You will probably learn that a building is never large enough. Will there be room for expansion, and will the city or county allow it? There will always be those that want to beat you down or make things difficult for you. Case in point, our first year, the local power company had replaced a lot of power poles and said we could have the old ones. We thought they might make good parking bumpers to keep cars from hitting the building in the parking lot. The very next day we got a complaint from a neighbor who couldn’t even see them from his house, but merely had to drive by on the frontage road and didn’t think they were professional enough looking. He complained about many more things we did like displaying our antique car hauler out front as an attraction.

Big Boy’s Tonka Toy car hauler on display in front of the museum

A lot will depend on the type and nature of your museum. If you already have a huge collection stored in attics and basements and warehouses, and you want to put it out for the enjoyment of the public, great. I have several visitors every year that after touring our property and collection say they should start a museum. Truth to tell, it usually takes more than a man cave full of collectibles and a half a dozen collector cars to start a bona-fide museum. Remember that you have to give visitors their money’s worth. Negative advertising moves faster than the positive. Perhaps you could go back to the paragraph about volunteering and offer to embellish their already fine collection by offering to go in with them. However, many museums are already filled up and won’t want to rearrange things to accept new items.

Another big issue on the ‘how’ list is staff and if you’re a non-profit, board members. Is this solely your passion or does your spouse (truthfully) share in your dream and would be willing to spend hours helping at the front desk or in the restoration shop? Do you have other solid friends that would support you or be willing to serve on a board, or help with fund raising? Do you have a community group that is dedicated to your vision and willing to work for years as volunteers without pay?

I witnessed a group of elderly folks in a neighboring city that wanted to start a museum and raised money to move a large building onto a vacant piece of property. The location was great, with a good view and access, but they thought volunteers would come flocking to their doors to keep it open. Nope. Pretty soon age crept up on them and they either passed on or wore out and it eventually closed. I heard that one of the board members sold valuable artifacts for personal gain before the museum closed. Fortunately we and another museum were offered some of the collection when it closed permanently.

Uhde’s Grocery sign donated to the MOAM

Starting a museum that is open to the public requires someone to be at the desk during business hours. Who is that someone going to be?

Our museum made use of a state program called the Senior Community Service Employment Program, where workers over the age of 55 were partially paid by the state to work at our non-profit facility. This was a great boon to us in the early days.

The actual planning of your facilities may be ongoing, but a lot of forethought and research must go into your project. We have already discussed some accessibility issues, but will it be single or multi-level. There will be several government agencies ready to pounce on you if you don’t get it right. Door widths, accessible restrooms, air quality, security exits, etcetera, ad-nauseam. And most desk sitting pencil pushers could care less about your dream and will not be very helpful or expedient, unless you mess up, then they’ll be on you like flies on a fresh cow pie. I encourage you again to participate as a volunteer at another museum and be very firm in your ‘why’ before starting a museum.

You have to be service dog friendly. Never mind that some dogs have a tail the size of a kangaroo and would just as soon whack one of your glass showcases, or be a yapper that snarls at other visitors. Thankfully, dogs such as those are in the minority. Don’t let the authorities tell you that you have to have every single square inch of your museum wheelchair accessible. It isn’t true. We have forty buildings in our pioneer village, many of them moved in and some built like the period we portray which did not have ramps or low thresholds. We have been complimented by several visitors from their wheelchairs. You do not have to let visitors into every building, but we try to accommodate wherever possible and affordable.

Inclement weather is another issue you must think of, flooding from ground or roof run-off can be a problem. Snow load on older buildings can also be an issue. New buildings will have snow load factored into the codes. Ample room if you have a village layout for fire suppression or delivering propane or giving rides is an issue.

For large properties, plan seating so older folks can rest, preferably in the shade. Pleasant landscaping that can be kept weed free and manicured grass or flowers are an asset. In our case, a lot of the smaller buildings do not need electricity during the day time to allow visitors to see inside. We placed a solar panel on the roof on one of our larger outdoor buildings because we do not have electricity running to all the outbuildings.

Fire extinguishers and other fire suppressant measures prominently placed are suggested, but bear in mind that some kids might mess with them. We’ll cover more security issues in another chapter.

You might consider visiting with your local media outlets and see how supportive and excited they are about your ideas. Remember, “just the facts, ma’am”. They won’t risk their reputation over a pipe dream or flash-in-the-pan idea. We were very fortunate that our local paper was very supportive of us and gave us great publicity when we were first starting up. It brought us a lot of visitors early on and helped get the word of mouth rolling. Sadly, he passed away and the paper was taken over by a large conglomerate and things changed.

Finally, let's touch on hours of operation. I realize that climate conditions are probably the biggest issue. In the north, many museums are only open in the summer or say Memorial Day to Labor Day. You’ll find museums open at all sorts of hours and different days of the week. Staff is probably the biggest issue with respect to when you can be open, but I strongly recommend consistency in your hours instead of a required by-appointment call. Most visitors will not call for an appointment, and even if they do make the effort, they will feel pressure to rush their visit, fearing they are taking up your time. Other visitors will want to stay much longer than the listed closing time.

Many families, especially a few decades ago, considered Sunday as a sacred day of worship. In our experience, whenever our family came home from church, there would be several carloads of people wondering why the museum was not open. Because we are a family-friendly museum, we have felt that it was not sacrilegious to be open on the sabbath day. We have found that attendance on Sundays is the second highest of the week, the first is Saturday.

Coming from a farming family, I was used to working long hours, so when we started our museum, in order to get as many visitors as possible, our hours were from 8AM to 8 PM, 7 days a week. Being open twelve hours a week, seven days a week year after year was wearing us out. To top it off, numerous folks would come fifteen minutes before closing, want a discount, and then stay so long that they were using their flashlights. My advice is to pick a regular 8-hour day, and be consistent. People will either come or they won’t, you don’t need to wear yourself out over it.

Think about where your visitors are most likely coming from. Our museum borders Idaho which is on Pacific Standard Time and we are on Mountain Standard Time. Some folks don’t reset their watches and think they still have an hour. We try to stay on top of that.

❖ CHAPTER 5 ❖

FUNDING ISSUES

I’ve given you a lot of things to consider based on my forty-plus years of personal experience and observations of other museums. When we first announced the starting of our museum, a handful of friends handed me anywhere from ten to a hundred dollars. There’s an old saying, smile at a dime and it will look like a dollar.

We should also remember the widow’s mite in the Bible, because some of the donations that come in are hard earned and from people who don’t have much to give. They must have had faith in me and

expected great things of me. That is a burden in a way, because I didn’t want to let anyone down. My honor depended on my museum’s success.

Smile postcard circa 1910

Being a multi-millionaire would be necessary today to finance any reputable museum, mainly because of inflation. Partly because of online auctions, eBay, and shows like American Pickers and Antiques Road Show. They can be very entertaining and educational, but remember, they are getting rich by putting on a good show. The higher the appraisal or offer they make, the better television it makes. Now everyone’s antiques have increased in value, regardless of actual worth.

Many of the mom and pop museums of the 1940s into the 60s did not charge admission, but had a donation jar by the guest book. Our museum also started that way. Back in 1985, when we first opened, we would have visitors drive up in a quarter of a million dollar motor home, pull out a pocket of small change, sort through them and drop a couple of coins in the jar. We didn’t get enough in a month’s time to pay the light bill.

Bear in mind that we had no employees and both my wife and I were volunteers and received no salary. The reasons ‘why’ we started the museum revolved around instilling a love for America in the hearts of everyone and we felt if we didn’t charge that we would reach more people. We planned on charging when we grew larger and more organized. We did have a few “financial friends of the museum” that would send in an annual donation, so that helped. I also still operated my machine and welding shop next door, so we had some income.

As we’ve grown to be the largest and most diversified museum in Montana, we have kept

Aerial view of museum grounds

our admission prices low. We have had our current rate for almost ten years: $5-ages two to twelve and dogs on leash, $10-ages thirteen and up, with no discounts. A businessman from the east brought his company representatives through the museum on a tour and keeps wanting me to raise our charge by fifty percent, but I think that would be a hardship to many families and that does not fit our museum’s purpose. The even figures are easier on the receptionists as well. No matter what you charge, however, there will always be those who think a museum ought to be free.

I have had visitors tell me they could start a museum and make a living doing it. To those I say: look for another profession. There are those who only collect high end antiques, autos, guns or motorcycles who charge exorbitant rates for visitors to see them so they can make a profit. This can harm the whole system of museum owners. Visitors can think they paid too much for what they saw at one museum and decide not to stop at yours without even checking your prices. The internet has been useful in disseminating accurate information like rates and schedules. Be sure to update your internet information regularly to keep it current.

When talking about funding, we have to mention grants. I could take up a whole chapter on that topic alone, but I’ll limit myself. Writing grants can be a full-time job by itself. You have to research which grants to apply for, write the grants themselves, and follow up with the organizations. Hiring grant writers is often expensive and they charge money up front whether you are awarded the grant or not.

The internet is useful in finding various grants. Read the requirements carefully. Most grants require matching funds and you might get a service club or large business to help with that. Don’t overlook the smaller business grants. Many of them take turns giving to different organizations in the community. Recently, we found out about some of them and have gotten gifts ranging from $200 to $1500. It can help to know somebody in the organization you are requesting money from.

Having a specific project in mind and following up can go a long way when asking for money or a grant. For example, the roof in a large part of our main building had developed several leaks because of deteriorating rolled roofing. We were well established at this time and had many rare and valuable items on display. We were sure we would be awarded the grant we applied for. We fit the mission of the state fund: drawing more tourists into our state. We also had the added points for being an immediate need. We were shocked when the grant failed. We put out more drip pans and patiently waited for the following year’s application cycle. Would you believe that it failed the second year as well? Even though less urgent awards were being given full funding. Angry now, I somehow found a sympathetic ear who gave me the name and phone numbers of the judges panel. I kid you not, after calling them I discovered that not one of them had even heard of us. I desperately, but politely, urged them to look us up on our website to get familiar with us and explained our plight with the leaking roofs. That did the trick and we finally got our new roof, but not before it did some ceiling damage.

In fairness, judges get so many grant requests that I can imagine they are overwhelmed and overlook some higher priority requests. There is a lot of competition for funds, so try not to get discouraged when you don’t get every grant you apply for. Once you do get a first grant, it is easier to get another, as your name will become better known in the community and you will have a track record of using funds wisely.

It can be very disappointing to see money going to causes and places that are deemed more important than your museum. You feel passionate about your project and want to see it succeed. Even if you know the owners of big corporations would love your theme, there must be two dozen “round file” (trash basket) secretaries between them and management that won’t even allow you to make a pitch. Once, I got to have a short phone conversation with an important figure at an affluent company who I was sure would love my patriotic mission and help with funding. He didn’t give me much hope, but he said I could send an application in for a donation. Two days later, I got a form rejection letter in the mail. I doubt that was even enough time to read my application. It is discouraging to see multimillionaires drive by your museum and never visit, who give to other causes which seem temporary compared to preserving history.

Some museums have annual fund raising black-tie dinners and auction off a donated piece of art or have raffles. I’ve never found the secret to success in those efforts. We list our annual Live History Days weekend as a fundraiser and I’ve noted that our tip jar fills up on those days.

Be warned if you auction off items from the museum collection. The technical term is ‘deaccession’ which is a noble sounding verb to get rid of excesses in the collection. Items that no longer fill a need or have been upgraded with a better and duplicate piece are sold off. Caution here, though. If you sell someone’s sentimental heirloom which they expected you to display through the end of civilization, you will lose trust and the word gets around quickly.

It is vital to have someone knowledgeable about money, perhaps a CPA, in your circle of friends and hopefully on your board of directors. They should serve on the board as a volunteer, but in our case we also hire them to do our bookkeeping. You can not be an expert at everything, so it’s important to surround yourself with experts.

Thinking about money can be hard to do, because you are so passionate about your vision you can’t see the need for it right now. And maybe you don’t need financial help right now, but remember you are trying to build a lasting business not just a flash-in-the-pan company.

❖ CHAPTER 6 ❖

PRIVATE OR PUBLIC

So what will it be? Public or Private? Non-profit or for-profit? Whatever you choose will have a trickle down effect on how you interact with visitors, what monies you can ask for and who has the control over your collection.

A public museum is one that is owned and run by the public. Boards of directors are elected by the general public or appointed by government officials. Public museums are funded by local and federal money for the most part. Private museums have a private board of directors and have to find their funding through private endowments and ticket sales. There are pros and cons to each type of museum.

Public museums will have an easier time getting funding as they are seen as having the public good in mind. They can be more restrictive though, as they answer to the majority. If your museum is niche or you want to have full control over what goes on inside your walls, you will want to have a private museum so you’ll have to start a corporation. If you are part of a small town museum and don’t want to have to worry about where your next paycheck will come from, a public museum is for you. Unfortunately, if you are a public museum, and the voters vote to make a parking lot out of the museum property, there is nothing you can do about it.

It can be a bit confusing as there are private museums that are for-profit and non-profit. As well, there are non-profit museums that charge admission and those that don’t charge admission. The latter might be affiliated with a charity or corporation and there are more complications than I will go into. Naturally, most folks have overhead like maintenance and utilities so money to pay for those services has to come from somewhere.

For those choosing to charge admission to see a private museum, it is far easier to be for-profit and avoid all the paperwork, hoops to jump through, and restrictions to follow to achieve a tax-exempt status. I strongly urge you when setting your admission fee that your visitors find that they are getting their money’s worth. This helps all museums keep a good reputation.

For-profit museums are the same as any other business. You file your taxes as a corporation or with self-employment tax and that’s it. No additional rules, regulations or requirements.

For our purposes, we decided to register with the IRS as a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Corporation which included a lot of rules and regulations, including the need for a board of directors. My wife and I could live our simple lifestyle on the income from my shop work and her census work every 10 years, so we decided to donate our time and not take any wages from museum income. Most non-profit CEOs receive a salary and that’s ok. You can still pay yourself and have non-profit status, it must simply be a “reasonable” amount and excess monies must be used towards improving the organization, not lining your pockets.

The title 501(c)(3) nonprofit generates a bit of credibility and will sometimes give you a discount in joining chambers of commerce or placing newspaper ads. Probably the biggest blessing that came with our new status was we were exempt from property tax by the county which saves us from a heavy tax each year.

Another advantage to being a non-profit is that donations, both money and physical items, can be used as a tax write-off by the donor. You are not allowed to appraise items for tax purposes, and it is hard to keep up with the tax law changes. Remember my suggestion of having a CPA or tax attorney to serve on your board of directors? This is a good example of where they can help steer you away from pitfalls.

Being non-profit does hamper you in one way that may or not be a problem for the reader. You must not take a partisan political stand. While many of our displays are historically accurate, they may touch on political history. We have a display of historical campaign items which feature slogans and ideology from both sides of the aisle. Be wary of visitors who want to banter with you. Don’t get sucked into partisan wrangling, you could lose your tax-exempt status!

The same could be said of our freedom of religion display. We have had many visitors pick a fight over a Buddha statue, or our Jewish chaplain’s flag. Having religious relics or items

Jewish chaplain’s flag in our freedom of religion display

in your displays does not put you in jeopardy for your non-profit status. If you were a public museum, however, you will have to be careful to represent your community the way they want to be represented. Since we chose to be a private non-profit museum we have a lot more leeway with those sort of issues than a public museum.

We will not need to hide our Aunt Jemima syrup bottle or our Land O’Lakes butter box with the beautiful Indian maiden as the historic logo. Nor will we need to take out the dark parts of our nation’s history, our brutal WWII anti-axis war bond posters, or an original KKK hood with horribly racist accoutrements. As a private museum, you or your board are in control of your collection and can pick what stays and what doesn’t. Keep your purpose in mind when you get those naysayers. A good portion of our goal has been to Preserve, Protect, and Present. When faced with opposition, gently but firmly state your purpose and it will go a long way toward smoothing ruffled feathers.

❖ CHAPTER 7 ❖

SECURITY ISSUES

I knew when I started numbering the chapters in the book, that this would probably be the longest one. While you will have joys in your project, there will also be discouragements, and this chapter shines a bright light on issues that may cause you to question even starting a museum. Not every story in this chapter has a solution, so I won’t try to give you one. It will stress you greatly when you discover your first theft, because the item was important to you or a donor. You may have gone to great lengths to work it into a display, and now you feel violated.

It is vital to remember that you are more than the items in your collection. The thief probably doesn’t even know who you are personally. You are not the only one to have this happen to you.

Theft has become more rampant in society. It will only be a matter of time before you will find something missing or wonder about that empty spot you think should have something in it. It will probably consume your thoughts on what they may take next and how to avoid theft in the future. My intent here is not to bore you with horror stories, but to prepare you for the reality of dealing with a visiting public crowd.

In my experience, there are three different kinds of thieves. The first are the opportunistic ones, or kleptomaniacs. They will probably do you the least harm, as they just want to steal for the thrill of doing it, usually something of low value. Then, there are the fellow collectors who just can’t stand the fact that someone else has a piece they don’t have. Others want to steal for the money, and are usually the most designing.

How they steal varies as well. Most will just take the item and leave a ring of dust and memories. Others will go to great lengths to leave you something in exchange. You might think leaving a fake is only for jewelry thefts, but it affected us in a most unusual way. In our collection was a WWII US 45 caliber submachine gun called a “grease gun”. I had a deactivated one made inoperable and legal. A clever thief had gone to extensive lengths to replicate it using cardboard, steel rod, a glue gun, dowels, and paint. It was an amazingly accurate replica that looked original from the viewer’s distance. I don’t know how long it was on display before I noticed it wasn’t the original. I’ve since made entry into the military displays much more difficult, through the use of cleverly placed display cases and large wire fences, but there is never a guarantee.

Technology has equipped the thief with increased ability to steal. In hardware stores or over the internet, you can buy lock picking kits, battery operated and easily hidden saws, grinders, screwguns, drills, etc. to aid in nefarious missions.

If a visitor frequently wants to buy the same item in your collection, use extra caution and security. A military collector had often tried to buy a WWII Luftwaffe dress dagger with scabbard from me. I made the display difficult to get at by roping it off. I came in from work one day and heard a funny, slapping noise from the military room. Upon investigating I found the same visitor examining displays dressed in his typical shorts and flip flop sandals. Nothing out of the ordinary as he was a frequent visitor. It wasn’t until closing time and turning off lights that I realized my dagger was missing. A few days later I discovered the round part of the ribboned medal hanging out of reach on a WWI uniform was missing. I deduced that the slapping noise I had heard was his flip flops hitting the floor from his jumping up to grab the medal. I never saw him again, nor did anyone else that knew him.

WWI uniform hung near the ceiling missing medal

It is hard to judge visitors from appearance or even actions. A woman and her 20-something daughter came through in our early days and were viewing our military section, which was hidden from view, when I heard an unusual snap sound. I ran around the corner to check, but they looked innocent. It wasn’t til closing time that I noticed one of the cartridges on a machine gun belt was missing and the snap would have been the noise of the spring clip holding the cartridge. We also found a neat WWI trench whistle on a chain missing. I saw their name in the guest book and tracked down and called a phone number in Canada. After ascertaining they had indeed visited us, I mentioned the items that were missing, being very careful to not make any accusations. I asked if they had perhaps noticed anyone nearby that may have taken them. Her defensive reply confirmed my suspicions, but the items were never recovered.

Some thieves steal on an impulse if they think they can get away with it, others make a plan of action for a particular item. An acquaintance had an older museum about 40 miles north of us on a major highway and I used to like visiting it as a youth. One day while the owner was sitting at his reception desk, an older man dressed with a long coat, high-topped boots, and a very noticeable stiff legged limp went into the museum and in small talk, (which thieves may use to put you at ease) mentioned his limp was from a war injury. On closing that evening the owner realized that a very valuable rifle was missing. It is surmised that the thief stuck the rifle in his boot and with the long coat covering the rest of it, the stiff legged gait, previously explained, was not suspect. I imagine the thief’s limp was gone when he got back home.

No doubt many reading this book have seen the movie, Oliver Twist, in which the ringleader taught his young charges how to steal. While I don’t know that it has happened, I know that an adult could lift a child over a fence to grab something and justify it to the child in any number of ways. Canes and walking sticks have always made me nervous and could greatly extend a person’s reach to hook or lift something from your collection. As you will see. In a couple of our photos, you’ll notice we use agricultural panels to secure some of our displays.

Agriculture fence in front of boat building display

These panels usually come in sixteen-foot lengths and can be purchased at a farm store. They used to come five-feet high, but are now available six-feet high and with four-inch square openings. I have started using the higher fence because we had a child climb into a display at the lower height. Ag panels may not look as professional as glass, rope and fancy boxes with an alarm system, but for an agriculture-type museum, “it keeps the honest people honest.”

A disadvantage to using farm wire panels is that you need to have substantial stanchions to hold them up, as they are heavy and wobbly if you don’t.

Motorcycles behind farm wire panels with large stanchions

A bit of caution, here, is the wire is usually galvanized or coated in zinc to keep it from rusting. Your supplier, depending on age and experience might not know the difference between cold finish or hot dipped. Hot dipped wire has dangerous spiny projections which will undoubtedly draw blood from your visitors. Not Good. Even the top spines of the cold-finished may have sharp ends from the shearing in the manufacturing process and you might want to file those sharp edges off.

Let’s talk about cameras and alarms. Thieves seem to know if a camera is fake, even if it has a motion activated blinking light. Some of them are professionals in their trade. They have already cased your monitors and security systems with just one glance. It is impossible to have staff on hand to watch each of your cameras, and even if you spot the thief, what then? Don’t get me wrong, cameras and monitors are wonderful things. If you are not being distracted by a partner in crime, they are handy to track visitor movement, perhaps see what areas may need an interest level boost, watch to see that the children are staying with the adults and are not getting into displays.

After the fact of a robbery, in our experience, the police departments aren’t much help. We have had the police come in and dust for fingerprints, but never had them prosecute anyone, or even catch a thief. Most stolen items end up in pawn shops or chop shops out of the area. A chop shop is a mechanic’s garage which accepts stolen cars and salvages all saleable parts to resell. They will do some minor or major modifications and a different paint job and switch VIN plates before selling a vehicle. To support them, they have unscrupulous agents with cash in hand to deal.

One security measure that has been more trouble to us than to a thief was a fire door we were required to install to the outside in a back room. What a pain. The alarm buzzer is enough to wake the dead and we are required to remember passwords when the security company calls while trying to keep customers calm and at the same time needing to physically leave the front desk and take a Philips screwdriver to disarm the door. All this while the buzzer is blaring so loud it’s painful! In spite of large Emergency Only signs and warning signs on the door and panic bar, we have had unpleasant, but not malicious, experiences. My best advice is to train your employees. Have a procedure that everyone is aware of. And when the inevitable happens, there’s nothing you can do about it, it’s not worth crying over.

Another drawback of motion alarms is that they are not spider proof. After the second false alarm, the police department may not bother to show up. Of course, keeping the batteries refreshed is another never-ending chore that seems to sneak up on you.

It is hard to understand the mind of a thief. Perhaps they are missing a piece from their own collection or they think they could sell it. Maybe it has a neat looking art form. For whatever reason, gas caps and radiator caps seem to be a large attraction to thieves. A photo here is not to show the vehicle as much as to show how I attempted to thwart these thieves.

Radiator cap attached with wiring to prevent theft

Judging by my visit to several agriculture museums, they could use my idea. Don’t get me wrong, a hardened thief might use a chainsaw or a D8 cat to break into a building if he wants something bad enough. But the hints in this book might help you keep more of what you have worked so hard to collect and display.

Let me tell you about a painful theft that took place in one of our outbuildings, the sewing and tailoring building. Among the items on display was a fancy glass beaded purse which was probably the fanciest thing that my grandmother owned. I had used what are called body or fender washers which carefully

Notice the screws with washers on the right side of the display case.

screw through the edge of the glass wooden frames would keep the glass from being lifted up. While I didn’t have a fence up at that time, I had long screws securing them down so the glass couldn’t be lifted up. Someone unscrewed the washers, pried the glass up and stole my grandmother’s purse and a few other nice fashion collectibles.

Perimeter security is a big issue whether you build up to the border, use a wall, or security fencing. I wish I could wave a magic wand and stop thievery. The best advice is to think things through in planning, be alert, use neighborhood watch if you have them, invite local law enforcement to become familiar with your grounds and collection, and pray for the best.

Many museums will have a gift shop to help raise funds. It is hard for one person to deal with orienting visitors, watching the monitors, answering the phone, and watching the gift shop. So expect some theft there too. The largest loss we had was from a friend of a summer youth worker who stole a whole chained together group of rings, mostly sterling silver. We think the employee may have stolen money over the period she worked here as well.

My best advice is to follow the inner spirit. If you have a feeling that you should do something related to security issues, don’t put it off. We had a tip jar in our gift shop made from a 5 gallon glass water jar taped to an antique metal high chair. It had done a fair job of bringing in money in the past and it had between $600 and $800 in it. One day at closing time, a stranger came in wanting to find out what we had to see, all the while walking towards the next room which passed by the tip jar. While he was in the next room. Another man came in asking the same type of question, but he stopped near the tip jar and did a longer than normal look at it. My feeling told me to empty it, but it was a tedious task and I was busy, so I put it off. A few days later, again at closing time, the same man came in with a lady and asked our receptionist to take their picture in front of the buffalo display in the next room. During that time a second woman rushed in, grabbed the tip jar, stool and all, and escaped out the door. A classic example of casing us and using distraction for a partner in crime to get away with the goods. I still kick myself for not acting on the spirit. Watch for team thieves and blockers or distractors. A blocker will move to keep you from seeing what their partner is up to. The next tip jar is now securely fastened down using an antique military Sibley tent stove. Of course they could break the jar with a hammer, but less likely.

Tip jar in our gift shop now well locked up

At times I feel really dense when it comes to listening to the spirit of warning. I’ve lost parts from my outside aviation displays and in both cases different men tried to buy the parts from me before the thefts. All they needed was a screwdriver and moral depravity to accomplish the deed. To diminish future theft, I’ve tried to use extra lock nuts, so thieves would need a wrench or pliers and would take longer to remove parts. Other times I’ve used safety wire or chains and good quality bolts and Nylock Nuts. More security makes them work harder and take longer, which in itself may be a deterrent.

A good piece of advice I can give is the “no bags or back-pack” rule. A visitor either obeys it or doesn’t enter. Smaller museums are so visitor-hungry that they may tend to be more lenient when faced with confrontations, but remember you have a right to refuse a visitor who refuses to follow the rules. Then too, many photographers seem to feel a need for a huge back pack of photographic equipment. Follow your gut on this one. Engage in conversation about their hobby, and perhaps genuinely take an interest in their additional equipment. Some handbags could also get away with a lot of loot. It is not offensive to ask to see inside a large bag on the way out the door, simply use the phrase “it’s museum policy.” If someone is offended when you ask to look in their bag, those are the ones you really want to check.

Preventative measures and eternal vigilance are the best medicine here. Listen to your inner spirit, and know that it happens to everyone from the smallest mom and pop museum to the largest museums in the world. Is your collection something you want to subject to theft?

❖ CHAPTER 8 ❖

COLLECTION AND ACQUISITION ISSUES

A cartoon of a wax museum shows a single lit candle on a table. The receptionist tells the visitors, “We are just getting started.”

While humorous, the responsibility to present a museum where the majority of visitors feel satiated and like they got their money’s worth, is very sobering indeed. While we can’t expect to satisfy everybody all the time, we want the majority of folks to be satisfied with the time as well as money invested to view your creation. Usually negativity travels much faster than positive news. I believe after forty years, we have succeeded in the 98 percent approval rating. Realize too, that some people thrive on negativity, so think through any negative comments, maybe it is them and not you.

Please start out with more than one candle.

By the time you read this book, you may have already opened your museum using a collection you already have. I would advise you to subscribe to “Atlas Obscura” which is a fun site showing tidbits from thousands of museums and historic sites from around the world. Some of you might have priceless heirlooms that you inherited. While an item might be priceless to you and hold a lot of sentiment, it might not be interesting to anyone else. Heirlooms can start family feuds and irreparable damage for generations. I am aware of one family that drifted apart with animosity over a gold pocket watch almost a century ago and never did get back together.

Sometimes a museum can settle a family feud, although then some of the parties might be angry at you. Case in point was when we were approached by a woman who wondered if we would be interested in accepting her aging father’s boat. In the interest of anonymity, let’s just say it was a very beautiful, rare, and desirable boat among boaters. She said that the grandchildren were fighting over it so bitterly, that she felt none of them deserved it. We were honored to accept it. A few years later, a man from Florida decided he was going to buy it. My wife at the reception desk told him it wasn’t for sale. He said, “Everything has a price.” She sent him to my shop, where he repeated his close-to $200,000 offer. I looked him straight in the eye and said, “My honor doesn’t have a price and the donor expects it to be here on display.” He couldn’t understand why I refused. Now, thirty years later, folks are still enjoying it as part of our maritime displays. I mention this story to show the responsibility you take on yourself when you accept a donation.

Once you establish your museum, you will have folks thinking your place is a good drop off spot when they clean out their garage, or want to get rid of grandma’s old treadle sewing machine taking up room in their guest bedroom. I suggest that you ask them if it is alright if you use it for trading stock for other things the museum might better use, or use some of it as fund raisers.

I have trouble with this one, but “always get a receipt”. It is wise advice and has saved items in our collection several times when relatives have claimed ownership. Explain, even to friends, that it is a museum rule. It is also protection from the ever-increasing disease of dementia. I’ve had donors come back for items and I had to show them their signature on the receipt. It is important to have a standard donor form and for donors to understand the wording in the form (see next page). Some people think they are just loaning you an item and can take it back whenever they or their family want.

Occasionally you will have a family come in that aren’t happy that grandfather donated or sold you a family heirloom. They may even say you stole it. It is imperative that you keep your receipt forms up to date. They might not be happy, but at least they can’t legally make accusations. A couple of times, it has been easier to give things back than make a fuss. One particular item probably won’t make or break the collection.

While we have taken a few items on loan over the years with the agreement that we would have from 30 to 60 days to get it out of the display if they ever requested a return, it sometimes causes bitterness and resentment. One example is a man who donated some very early and valuable items relating to the Boy Scouts of America. However the highest honor given him as a leader was his Silver Beaver award which he would only loan to us as it would go to his grandchildren. Don’t ask me how on earth he

Simple donor form for everyone’s protection

would arrange to divide it up to several grandchildren. We mounted it along with other scouting items next to the ceiling in a very secure case.

The inevitable day came when the family wanted it back. They were from out of town and wanted it that very day. I pointed to the time allowed us to remove loaned items mentioned on our loan agreement and they became irate. They finally gave me until the next day, so I worked half the night to get into the scouting display case to remove it. Another item was demanded the day of the funeral by relations of the late lender.

Scouting display cases at the MoAM

Suffice it to say, we no longer take items in on loan. The investment of time and materials to secure it is just not worth the effort. When we explain our problem to donors who would like to lend us something, they usually understand. Some have turned their items into donations to avoid the problem.

Depending on what your long range plans are, going with an IRS approved 501(c)(3) nonprofit museum can be advantageous to building your collection. Bear in mind that tax laws change frequently, and you as a receiver are not allowed to appraise value.

An elderly gent not only took a liking to us, but was able to use us as a tax write off over the years with several large item donations. While we still have a vehicle on display which he donated, a nice 1950

1950 yellow jeepster in our antique automobile building

Jeepster, another vehicle, a 1969 Cadillac convertible, he urged us to sell and use the money where needed elsewhere in the museum. We did display it for around fifteen years before we sold it to add to our museum endowment fund. In this case we were honoring his suggestion.

Specialty museums that draw large crowds somehow seem to draw the big money folks in. For example several auto museums, both from America as well as worldwide,d feature very elegant pristine and rare autos like Bugatti, Rolls Royce, and numerous other legendary names. Some may house as many as 500 autos or claim to be the world’s largest. They demand high entrance fees which most families can’t afford. The general public can’t relate to these high priced autos because they were never used by or owned by a family like theirs. They might be just as entertained by a couple of Ford Model Ts or As like grandpa had.

As long as we have mentioned autos in this chapter, wait until you see footprints from the running boards all the way up to the top of your front fender. Or find a ruined battery from someone leaving a switch on.

Another specialty is firearm museums, and some even claim to be the largest in the world. Don’t let it discourage you. Not for criticism, but for observation, a row a hundred feet long of every variation of a particular Winchester made, can become mind numbing, overwhelming, or even boring in a very short time. We have visitors say they like our smaller gun collection because in the same amount of space they can see more of a variety. This is not to put any of them down, because each contributes something towards preservation and research.

Of course, because we have some very rare examples, I have to mention motorcycle museums.

1917 Harley Racer

While people are overwhelmed and complimentary about our collection, there are several specialty cycle museums whose collection and facilities make our collection look like a drop in the bucket. But while they excel at their theme, many don’t have the variety to interest the whole family. Before I established our cycle section in our museum, I had loaned a couple of our antique motorcycles to our local town museum to add to their variety. Upon visiting one day I heard a distinctive metal clanking sound in a back room. My experienced ears thought that the noise was from the shifting gate and lever from my 1917 Harley and went rushing back to find a child sitting on the seat and messing with the shifter. The cycle is fairly high and only held upright by a narrow rear stand. I don’t know how he kept from tipping it over unless his grandma had lifted him up. I removed it immediately.

If I seem to be advocating for a diversity of objects and displays, you are correct. A wider variety of subjects for display will allow you to build a larger collection quicker and then you can update later.

In times past, live auctions were a great place to find goodies. These days, I do a lot of purchasing at online auctions. However, keep your budget in mind. While one bidder may have come for a butter churn regardless of cost, you might have seen a dozen collectibles and only have a limited budget. You don’t need to win every item.

On internet auctions and eBay, it is buyer beware. Now, auctioneers charge a bidders fee, and some sellers will gouge you on the shipping. Every one becomes a dealer now or sets a value using asking prices, even though it isn’t selling. I would say that eBay, antique, and picker shows have been responsible for inflating prices beyond the reach of most of us.

Thankfully, not everyone is out to gouge you and there are many clubs or groups online of just about anything collectible and a lot of decent folks who are happy to help you. There is an occasional wiseguy or know-it-all who wants to put people down, but they are getting thinned out by groups policing their own.

Become friends with the local thrift store because they sometimes get some real collectibles with an estate sale. Explain to the manager what your goal is and they might look out for you. Bear in mind other high roller dealers may have contacted them too.

Unfortunately, it is becoming increasingly difficult to purchase museum quality items at today’s prices and competition. I could never build the museum we have today if I was forced to pay these prices. When I first started the museum, I could buy a 1934 Harley for $175. Today that same Harley would cost me closer to $30,000.

So my best advice is to be a frequent visitor to existing museums and see if you could be a volunteer. If you get on good honest footing, they may have certain items they will dispose of and give you a chance to obtain them.

A few other problems you may run into when folks bring you goodies is dating the items. Some suppliers have gone retro to appeal to older folks or collectors. To help date items, remember that postal zip codes did not exist until 1964, whereas some number codes of large cities were used during WWII. The first UPC barcodes were used in 1974 and items so marked are not considered antiques. If the item fits your museum’s purpose, or you really like it, get it, but just don’t represent it as an antique.

I have seen precious artifacts in perfect shape taken to the dump and you are not supposed to salvage there. If you’ve made a friend out of the persons in charge of the rules at your local landfill, they might make an exception for the cause of preserving history for the benefit of the community. I encourage folks cleaning out their closets to check with the museum first and bring items by. You can always dispose of a donation later if you find a better example.

Some folks have either sold or given goodwill their best antiques and then want to sell you their leftovers. One couple sold very historic items to a collector/dealer from out of the area, and wanted us to pay his appraisal price on the non-meaningful antiques they offered us. I say non-meaningful, because just because some item is an antique or collectable, doesn’t mean it will be an asset to your museum.

Another thing that comes into play is the availability of certain items. Because we have always been a 501(c)(3) nonprofit museum, we had access to government surplus, so we acquired some mint condition military vehicles including 3 airplanes, 3 full tracked vehicles and numerous unique military training exhibits which are very interesting on display and in some cases used in parades.

Dawn Patrol Mortar Carrier and Attack Jet

New administrations throughout the years have really hurt our collecting ability. They cut all military vehicles off from surplus sale, as well as deactivated-display-only weapons from foreign countries. Other various government boards, like the health board, can become ridiculous in their demands. They wanted us to tear out all the original fixtures of our 1925 soda fountain and replace them with modern fixtures, so we opted to use it just for display and people still love it.

Soda Fountain from Ronan store on display in Multipurpose room

❖ CHAPTER 9 ❖

LIGHTING, SHOWCASES, AND FIXTURES

The majority of this chapter will be for the low-budget or just-starting-out museums as most established museums are probably all set up. In either case, you might gain a few tips on repurposing discarded items to your advantage.

I was not rich, but had a strong work ethic and vision. As I mentioned before, we bought an existing building that had been a home-building business and had display shelves and cubicles to advertise carpet samples, fixtures, etc. We repurposed windows, doors and shelves to make secure cases. By secure, it means to keep the honest people honest, as the saying goes, and to keep curious fingers away from your items. Not much will stop a dedicated thief.

If no one is around, a hard object will break glass. Plexi-glass or Lexan is harder to break, but you have to clean it with a proper cleanser as it will scratch easier than glass. Reflection is an issue you will have to live with, but you can experiment by moving displays, lighting or in some instances, shading. If you are installing new or replacement lighting, be sure and use modern ultra violet (UV) shielded bulbs and sleeves if possible for the protection of your artifacts.

Sometimes your power company will help with finances. Note from the photos that I cut down some large storm windows for part of our gun/police display and the John Clarke carving exhibit. Next we cut grooves in 2 x 2 lumber for tracks and used some donated heavy plate glass windows. It was a bit dark, so we installed a couple of fluorescent fixtures and some aluminum shields to keep the light out of the viewer's eyes. In several displays we have used sliding patio doors to our advantage.

Clarke carving and gun display. Notice lights in cases and materials.

Let me explain how we dealt with a sun problem and utilized our space well. A south exposure outer wall of the main building we purchased had seven vertical windows. The UV rays and solar heat would have been unforgivable to our collection, so we needed to do something. We thought of putting up panels to replace the windows, but wanted the front wall of the museum to be attractive at the same time. An artist friend felt that charcoal drawings would withstand the sun.

Picture of south facing museum entrance windows.

On the inside I added painted plywood to which we attached shelving in which we organized various displays. There was still a lot of heat getting through the glass, so nothing was included in the displays that heat would damage. Inside one of the windows, we made a display using an antique door to appropriately show off part of our door knob and lock display. We then made matching frames mounting Lexan for security. I did have to make small relief cuts top and bottom (not visible) for ventilation because of the heat.

Knob and lock display inside south facing window

We also make use of donated buildings as resources. We were fortunate to have several small older buildings, no larger than a two-car garage, given to us. The smaller size meant we could move them ourselves into our village. That was important, because it is very expensive to have a building moved. Therein lies another issue: outbuilding placement. If we had known that we would get so many varied sizes, I would have laid out the streets in our Pioneer Village better. However, each building has a different theme and is full to overflowing.

Many of our buildings are small enough not to require extra lighting. A doorway or perhaps a well-placed window, which doesn’t let direct sunlight in, gives enough natural lighting to not require electricity. In these smaller buildings, depending on the theme, you can install all kinds of antiques like stoves, light fixtures, period-specific furniture, period typewriters, telephones, It is a handy and natural place to display duplicate items.

Natural lighting is plenty to make items in our smaller buildings visible

If you are placing buildings outside the main building, there is an added risk of theft or vandalism in these exhibits. We have these somewhat secured with the aforementioned agricultural panels and I have welded extensions on top to be high enough that someone would not climb over.

Outbuilding with high fence to secure items

I realize the fences in our museum don’t resemble the ones seen in “sterile” museums, but remember, your museum should fit you, and no matter how expensive your protection, thieves can find a way. We have most of the doors facing so they don’t get a lot of sun or snow from a blizzard. If we know a bad winter storm is coming we may shut some of the doors at closing time, but usually leave them open.

Another thing we do that a sterile museum wouldn’t do is take used-but-nice carpet and place it at the entrances to many of the outbuildings. It keeps the weeds and dust down and may knock a bit of mud or gravel off of gripper shoe soles. One drawback is that if it is low in the middle it could allow water to pool up and freeze come winter, which wouldn’t be good.

Unless you are a lighting expert, I suggest getting professional help on your lighting. There are so many types, wattage, placement, uv shielding, glare problems, etc. Make sure any help coming in is aware of the uv issue. If uv isn’t too much of a problem, by all means use antique fixtures if they will compliment a display area. Obviously you will want to make sure old wiring is updated for safety if you plan to use old light fixtures.

The solar ceiling light in our general store really lightens the back wall. ..

In one building we tried a solar light in a dark end. It is fairly small and we tried to hide the solar panel from view, while still catching the sun. I did have to install a shield to protect the viewer's eyes, while on the back side it reflects more light into the dark areas. The sunlight reflection from window onto ceiling didn’t light back wall

If you are interested in three-or-four sided glass display cases, but don’t want to pay today’s prices for them, look for store closures or alert your real estate friends in case they list something that may have excess fixtures and display pieces. We found six sliding and locking glass case fronts when a box store closed down. We built custom cases to fit the fronts. The same store had a hanging eight-sided case suspended over their checkout counters. Originally it housed an advertising panel, but since it was so hard to get down, they gave it to us for free. With some friends and ladders, we got it safely down and as you can see, it made a nice case for our auto building.

Octagonal display case salvaged from a store going out of business

Also keep your ears open for buildings being torn down. There is some good lumber in those old buildings if you’re willing to work for it. That auto building case is hanging in a building that was built totally from salvage from an old sawmill.

I realize not everyone will be able to find all or even any of the items we have repurposed, but this might give you food for thought if you still want to pursue your dream. Times are a lot tougher now. Inflation seems rampant and labor is high if you can even find someone willing to work. A lot of industrial and agricultural equipment was hauled in and sold for scrap, which means the things we are preserving in museums are more important than ever.

❖ CHAPTER 10 ❖

PUBLICITY AND ADVERTISING

Once you have made your new museum public, prepare to be inundated with sales representatives that promise you a sign on the moon. They will all claim to have a fantastic readership and unbelievable high distribution rates. Advertising your museum will be important if you want to make enough money to keep the lights on. But don’t believe everything you hear from a salesman. If a newspaper claims a large distribution, they might neglect to mention that stacks of their guides sit in a truck stop or grocery store entrance until they get dog eared and yellowed and are never viewed at all.

The media might do a special report or article on your museum when you first open, and social media will reach a few of your friend lists, but don’t expect the attention to last. We were lucky when a long time local newspaper editor really enjoyed history and took a liking to us. But times change and small papers get gobbled up by large conglomerates. Now, we get a lot of pressure from local papers to buy high priced ads or permanent business card size listings. How many reading this booklet actually look at those types of ads? I know I don’t.

Newspaper staff can be very vindictive if you personally differ with their politics or don’t spend a lot of money with them. Bad publicity, as long as they spell your name right, may be better than no publicity at all but the latter seems to be how newspapers flex their muscle. The media is supposed to donate a certain amount of “community service” advertising, but you will be in no position to force the issue. It is used mostly for calendared activities that would benefit the community. For a time we were having a monthly activity on a certain week evening and we were dependent on the papers to give a couple weeks’ notice and then a reminder on the issue that came out the day before. The radio stations were cooperative in giving an over the phone interview which helped not only for meeting attendance, but for good PR (public relations) as well. Attendance was always better if the advance notice was given. However we could never depend on one paper to follow suit.

Quarterly, or more often, published periodicals have historical and personal interest stories. You can find several in the waiting rooms of various businesses. You might think, as I have, that they ought to do a story on your museum. I haven’t had much luck in writing to the editor and requesting an article, they think you just want free advertising. I have at times been able to finally reach the editor by phone and explain why our museum or a particular display would be a perfect fit for one of their issues.

After forty years a couple of different publications have finally paid off. Many of them use freelance writers instead of staff to submit articles. They can be a real blessing and have brought us many visitors by articles from as far away as California and Florida. We weren’t even aware of the writers going through the museum, which shows you should always be on your best behavior.

We have always offered a free pass to members of the media, but don’t want them to feel obligated to us. Most of them appreciate a good personal interest story and they usually want people included in any photos they take, so comb your hair. I don’t know if it is required, but if I email a story into a newspaper with a photo, I always give them permission to use it.

We had a couple of expensive experiences with national publications who provide their membership with guidebooks. One business catering to motorhome type travelers guaranteed us unlimited coverage and great success for only $600. We began a more thorough scientific survey on how folks heard about our museum. It turned out only 6 groups claimed to visit because of that particular guide. We learned the hard way and haven’t fallen for that line again. Other organizations want you to join them before giving you a listing, but we found that was a poor investment for the most part.

Your area might have a state tourism agency you can join that might help out and put you on their ‘things to do’ map. I use the word might on purpose. Ads in their tour or vacation guides are very expensive. The other problem is our agency thought the main reason people came to our area was for the beautiful scenery. They gave no credence to historical museums unless they were a highly funded museum and could afford a big ad. I harped on them for many years trying to get them to list all of the museums in their area for free just in a 2 or 3 line listing and then if the museum could afford it, they could do an ad. After these many years they are finally starting to realize that museums can draw people to our state, too. Brochures have helped us. However, there are some drawbacks. One drawback is placement. Even if you provide a nice neat acrylic rack with your name and contact number engraved on the back, many places don’t have the counter or window sill space or don’t want anything but their own stuff displayed. Then you have to keep your brochures stocked which can be a pain. Another problem is that rack surfers might pull your brochure or rack card, look at it and fail to return it to its proper place or turn it so you see the back side. We studied this issue for some time, and on redesigning our new brochures made sure that the top couple of inches on the front and back page showed our name prominently, or pictured a real attention-grabber.

Museum brochure back and front top panels

Brochures are usually ordered in a large quantity in order to hold the per price down. Be sure not to use pictures of items that may be on loan or displays that might be changed in a few years so your brochure is not out of date. Even with social media, brochures or rack cards are a viable means to advertise and properly sized ones can even be sent through the mail. When I say properly-sized brochures, someone thought they would make them a little larger, but they don’t fit a standard rack or in a business size envelope. Smaller ones get lost. Stay standard.

Study brochure racks at truck stops or your local chamber of commerce office and see what colors and styles grab you. Yours should be different enough to stand out and have all the pertinent information about your museum easy to read. Speaking of racks, be sure you get permission from a business before putting your brochures in their racks. There are some subscription or owned racks that are terribly expensive and have things from way out of the area and some even advertise products. Don’t dare put your brochures in them. That is like stealing services and the restocker will probably throw yours in the trash. We couldn’t justify the cost and have never used paid brochure racks.

We have been fairly successful at advertising on Facebook although management and fact checkers seem a bit flaky. I joined over fifty different groups and still find an occasional one to join. With our diversity, it can be very time consuming to picture various items for the separate groups. Some will let you link your website, however some won’t. These days with cell phones and people looking up travel ideas on-the-go it is essential to have an online presence. If you need to, find a volunteer with expertise in this area and give them the freedom to help. There are free community calendars you can add yourself to, as well as free radio spots if you can create a relationship with a station. Talk to people and let them know what your purpose is and people will help how they can.

We need to talk about signage and billboards. You may have driven cross country and seen huge billboards for an attraction, only to finally get there and have it be a big let-down. The message here is to use truth in advertising and attempt to give folks their money’s worth. If you do, word of mouth will become one of your most successful means of advertising. Sign ordinances apply in many areas and can be very restrictive. Some billboard sites are grandfathered in when an estate changes hands, but be aware that there are sign haters out there that will look for any excuse to eliminate them. You need to get permission from property owners in writing when you place a sign on their land. But remember sites may change ownership once in a while. We have put on the official permission or lease slip that we have use of the site for the life of the museum. It hasn’t been challenged so far, but maybe we’re just lucky. We give land owners a lifetime museum pass to smooth things over. We have tried to place our signs so they would not restrict the natural beauty of the property or scenery.

Once in a while, big spenders have put up signs that have overshadowed ours. My advice is to keep it simple with large letters. You will draw more eyes

You might not have control over who puts a sign in front of yours.

than the huge signs that have so much information on them. You have the attention of the passerby for about six seconds and there is no possible way to read full paragraphs at normal driving speed. The simpler the message, the more it will get read. Even knowing this, I have placed too much on a sign. Also consider placement to make it natural for the traveler. Consider wind factors and also brush or weeds that might hide part of your billboard. Keep the area trimmed and neat and maintain the condition of your signs.

Sometimes we can’t always choose to put our signs in an ideal spot or on the right side of the driving lane. Use humor if you can.

Large sign after our property, reminding folks to turn back

In the past, we have used the services of professional sign painters, volunteers and staff to paint wooden billboards. Unfortunately, weather and sunlight damage is hard to keep up with. We used to use fabric wraps on some of our signs. These wraps were easier to maintain, but with Montana winds, they don’t last long. The best type of sign to get these days is Polymetal. You can put any design you want on it and it is stronger and UV resistant.

Wooden vs Polymetal sign

For those fortunate to own their own sign on donated or leased sites (as opposed to expensive rented ones) may I suggest using both sides to your advantage. See the picture of our billboard suggesting that if they missed us they could do a U-turn at the next light. Make sure potential viewers will be able to act on your suggestion safely. This sign has brought us several visitors. Another suggestion is to add “thanks for stopping” to a banner with your name featured prominently. Maybe they didn’t stop, but it might catch them the next time.

Maybe road changes have dropped you out of sight, or speed limits have increased and traffic just whizzes by? Signage and more signage is a must. Court an attorney and a politician with a free pass or personal tour, explaining that you are an asset to the area by not only drawing destination visitors to the area, but that you slow down the momentum of folks that were just racing through. You can prove your worth by showing them a “Comment and Suggestion” book with positive things visitors say about you.

It also helps to camp on the highway department’s doorstep until they give you at least four highway route markers. These are brown highway signs with arrows that usually say ‘museum’ or have the letter ‘m’. You need two for advance warning, and the other two showing where to turn. Even if you are several blocks off the main drag, you should at least get two signs. Impress upon them that good directional signs contribute to safer traffic.

Examples of brown highway signs available through the government

Look at other signs and try to read the whole message as you drive by at a safe speed. Most drivers drive at least 10 miles over the speed limit, and 80 percent of signs have too much info on them to get the important message. Keep it simple and standard, in color and message.

❖ CHAPTER 11 ❖

DEALING WITH THE PUBLIC

Now this ought to be a fun chapter to write. About as much fun as a rubber crutch. There will be days that if you could quit, you would. But remember you are committed to your purpose and the public is depending on you. There will be lots of cheerleaders, at least vocally, and some naysayers. But you are the one in the arena and the one that counts.

In the preservation of historic artifacts, the customer is NOT always right. And sometimes you will offend people, no matter how hard you try not to. For example, a couple with a youngster were in one of our back rooms and I saw on the monitor that this child was climbing the display fence and nearly half way up. In rushing down I thought I’d be clever and I asked him if he had pockets in his pants. Of course everyone looked at me funny so I stuck my hand in my pockets and suggested that he do so and that it might be a good idea if he kept them there. They told my wife as they left that I was rude and explained that their child was only two years old. I could have handled it more directly and said please don’t climb the fences, but that probably would have been considered rude also. Sometimes you can’t win.

Service animals are another issue. Enter big brother with regulations forcing businesses to allow them. One woman came in with a big German Shepard with a tail almost as big as a kangaroo. After swinging it around and whopping two glass show cases up front, I suggested that it might not be a good idea to continue the tour. Lost a customer, but probably avoided further problems. Then there was the smaller yapper dog that snarled at other visitors. To some folks, their pets are family. We do the best we can with our rules that carried pets inside are free, and pets on a leash are $5, unless it is a service dog. However most of those people are happy to pay, too.

We do our best to keep restrooms tidy and working well, but I’m sure you can imagine there can be problems. There was the case of a visitor breaking a toilet seat. Now, we always have an extra one on hand for a replacement. Then there was the poor incontinent person who made it necessary to do some emergency cleanup and disinfecting. Toilet stoppages occur, and sinks left running are still another concern. Leaving a plunger and deodorizer where visitors can use them is a good thing as most people take care of things themselves. With new or remodel construction, we suggest having the restrooms within sight of the reception area. Other than the occasional odor, it is a good idea to discourage people from sneaking museum items into the restroom to hide in their clothes.

Remember your purpose and the mission of your museum when confronted with unhappy customers. Our museum is intended as educational and historically accurate as pertaining to freedom, the Constitution, free enterprise, the Second Amendment, freedom of religion, etc. In the last couple of decades, those subjects have divided our main political parties and our nation and not everyone is going to agree. We don’t discuss partisan politics, but history does and we are a history museum. Not everyone will be happy with a pro American message. Some items do show examples of the dark sides as part of history, but we aren’t about to pull any statues down or rewrite the older history books. I like to ask concerned visitors to view the rest of the displays and see if they find something they like.

One woman took issue with a picture labeled “2 Indian Squaws.” It was taken and labeled in 1932 by a very famous photographer. To this photographer, a squaw meant a married woman, whereas a maiden was unmarried. Sometimes the meaning of words changes over time and you will have to adjust. Just remember that you cannot please everybody.

On the flip side, there are those that are so complimentary in their praise, that it is embarrassing. I have stated to visitors that I put my pants on the same way they do, one leg at a time. Or I might quip that I haven’t mastered walking on water yet. I wish that praise was dollar bills and we could satisfy our endowment fund. Remind visitors who praise your collection to spread the word and perhaps leave you an online review.

It is helpful to have a checklist including points on how to handle visitors and hopefully your staff will read it at least once a month. Here are a few scenarios which we have encountered over the years.

If a visitor comes in with a questioning look and seems skeptical of your price, wondering if this is a tourist trap in spite of our artifacts and sign outside,

This sign hangs over our front entryway

I immediately welcome them and show a laminated map which we use to orient visitors and explain that there are over forty buildings out back chock full of artifacts. I ask them “what kind of work have you been in?”, hoping to match some of our exhibits to things they can relate to. You might have to ask again because they may say they are retired. That’s why I asked the question the way I did, but some don’t hear it correctly or they misunderstand my reason for asking.

At times someone comes in and before they even pay for admission, start telling you how wonderful other museums are that they have visited. Be as gracious as you can, thank them, and even write the name of it on a notebook promising to visit in person or on the website.

While we try to be as accurate as we can, sometimes we list items based on what the donor tells us, and that information might have been passed down from several generations. I suggest you do some internet research before making labels for display. Keep in mind the internet isn’t always correct either. Sometimes you will get a know-it-all in your museum who wants to tell you everything they know about a particular artifact. This can be quite tiresome, but sometimes helpful. After thirty-two years of displaying a beaded buckskin leather shirt, someone informed us we had it on our bust backward. It had been viewed by thousands from the reservation from whence it came and no one had ever mentioned or noticed it.

Pity the poor receptionist when a large group comes in all at once and the youngsters act like you just kicked an anthill. You have to raise your voice sometimes and tell them the museum rules, and pray they are listening. At our museum, we ask children to stay with the adults and then inform them that there are interactive items they can touch but not to touch anything else. Most parents or adults appreciate the museum explaining the rules. If you have a large museum, it can be nice to give visitors a map and direct them to new displays or ones that may pique their interest.

Our museum uses a large green oval to show interactive displays

We don’t allow gum or food in the museum and don’t like coffee or drinks in the main museum. Try to get a wad of chewing gum out of the carpet and you’ll know why we have that policy.

We go over touchables with disinfected wipes and use caution in picking up discarded masks or tissues out in the village yard. Sanitation is an issue because you never know what diseases someone who comes into your establishment might be carrying. Provide gloves for any of your workers cleaning restrooms or picking up trash.

Interacting with folks as they are about to leave is a good thing and most children like to be asked what they liked best at the museum. Groups coming and going at the same time can be hectic as you have to acknowledge the new group, perhaps by saying you’ll be right with them while bidding adieu to the leaving group.

Having a guest book is something I strongly encourage as it allows you to keep track of visitation trends for grant requests, but it can be a snag with a large group. While it isn’t a big thing, I like to keep my logbook orderly and encourage one signer to sign for everyone in a group. Sometimes grandma wants each of her grandchildren to put their own name in the book and you just have to grit your teeth and bear it. Some guests are suspicious about signing in, so I don’t push it but add the count later.

As you deal with individuals, you’ll build your own memories, policies and cautionary tales. Somedays you want to cry or pull your hair out and other days your heart will swell with happiness.

❖ CHAPTER 12 ❖

LONGEVITY ISSUES

Longevity is a hard issue to address. Just how long will you expect your museum to last? Do you have dedicated family or friends that share your passion wholeheartedly? Will they still share your dream if you don’t show up for breakfast, or heaven forbid have a breakup of family ties? It is not a pleasant thing to think about, but it would take both of my hands to count the number of museums that failed and the collection dispersed because of those very problems. We have in our collection several antiques and collectables from at least a half dozen museums that have closed since we’ve been in business. I am not trying to discourage you, but if people have trusted you enough to donate or sell you their goodies, it behooves you as an honorable person to do your utmost to protect them for future generations.

If you run a museum for your own pleasure or are the sole owner until death do you part, so to speak, be sure you have an iron-clad will. Discuss in a family council who would prefer what and devise a way to make it fair. Some families have an uninterested party draw numbers or names from a hat to coincide with a number on the item wanted. Not everyone will be happy, but hopefully they will agree to the lottery system ahead of time and accept the outcome.

If you want your museum to continue until the Lord comes, it can help to have a few million dollars from which you can start an endowment fund. Look for a reputable endowment company and make sure all the legal work is drawn up. It helps to look at other successful business programs to choose what you think will best serve your wishes. Hopefully by this time you are financially stable and only have upkeep, utilities, and insurance issues that entrance fees will cover. And you’re out of debt and paid up on your taxes, so you won’t have a tax burden hanging over your successor.

Back to endowments. I haven’t found a huge sponsor who will donate money to be used for an endowment fund. We have chosen to use donated and membership funds for that purpose, unless a donor has specified they are helping on a specific project. We have had a couple of donors that did donate several shares of stocks to our endowment that gave us a good boost. You might think about making the museum a beneficiary of your life insurance policy or specifying in your will, certain saleable properties to be used for the perpetuation of the museum.

A really hard part of the longevity of a museum is staff. After you are no longer in control, it is important to have a dedicated board of directors to find the staff needed to keep the museum open, maintained, and secure. The interest from the invested endowment fund is for hiring staff to do those things. Good, dedicated, and honest help is hard to find. A friend of mine with a large museum had a director that embezzled $124,000 over a few years. The person was well vetted and started out great, but the temptation was too great. Today’s labor force is much different than folks that grew up in the last century. For the most part, the work ethic has flown out the window. Board members are also very hard to find, some are easily offended, don’t want to take any responsibility or don’t know what they are expected to do. I suggest you get a few books or directions on organizing a competent board.

I suggest you try and entice a quality attorney to serve on your board, because you will need solid advice on this issue.

I had a good friend in another state that had the means to support his museum and did a nice job of it up until he died. Around a year after he passed, a portion of his museum went up on the auction block by his grandson. Another year later, and another auction decimated the rest of it. It can be hard to put your faith in others, but a non-profit rating with a healthy endowment fund and honorable board of directors could save your collection for generations to come. There is no control from the grave, but a good organization might see your vision into the future.

I hope something in this small book has helped you think about your future as a museum owner, or as a private collector. Maybe it will give you new hope and a renewed vision. I have tried to show some of the challenges we have faced and how we overcame some of them. Whatever your museum journey, I hope my suggestions can be of use to you.

Good Luck.