Wooden Boats Exhibit - Research and Planning

Short Term: Visitors express increased satisfaction with the exhibit vs. previous exhibits, and can articulate the significance of wooden boats and wooden boat racing association in our history.

Measuring progress on this outcome proved challenging. Informal conversations with visitors indicated some progress toward this outcome. The race boats rather than the signage initiated the majority for these conversations. Demonstrated articulation of increased understanding of the significance of wood boats and racing came in the form of probing questions from visitors seeking more information. Questions often focused on hull design, how engines operate, advancements in engineering, and the races these boats competed in. These provided insights into the selection of boats for the 2020 exhibit and topics for gallery talks.

Intermediate Term: Leadership at the museum begins to properly allocate time, budget, and staff resources to exhibits.

This outcome was achieved. This is demonstrated by the museum?s reorganization of financial management tools to more accurately document exhibit expenses and provide a more solid basis for funding future exhibits. The 2020 Exhibits and Education budget is $20,000. The individual hired to fill the Director of Communications and Programs position has her Master?s degree in History with an emphasis in public history and museum studies as well as several years of experience working in museums. Hiring an individual with this educational background and museum experience was a priority for the Board of Directors. The benefits of this hiring decision, along with committee growing exposure to standard museum practices, are being realized in early exhibit planning for the 2020 and subsequent seasons.

Long Term: Minnesotans have a better understanding of the history and significance of wooden boats and wooden boat racing association in our history. Visitors have increased trust in our museum as a professional institution and credible source of information.

Working in cooperation with the Antique Boat Museum and the Land-o-Lakes Classic Boat Club, Dixie Baby, the race boat in the exhibit on loan from the Antique Boat Museum, was displayed at the Minneapolis Boat Show in January 2020. This collaborative effort exposed hundreds of Minnesotans to the history of race boats and the engineering and technological advancements they embody and the opportunity to visit Legacy of the Lakes Museum to learn more.

We anticipate this public exposure and LOLM?s collaboration Land-o-Lakes Club will increase museum attendance in the coming season and beyond. The Land-o-Lakes Boat Club is a multi-state organization that featured the Golden Age Race Boats exhibit in their publication and promoted it through social media. Members? piqued interest in the exhibit and race boats as well as their pride in the Club?s affiliation with a museum with high quality exhibits will fuel word-of-mouth recommendations, which is how most visitors learn about and visit our museum.