Week 6: History Center Field Trip
- Danielle Crosby
- Sep 26, 2025
- 4 min read
As someone who dreams of working in a museum setting, getting behind-the-scenes access to the archives, a tour of the exhibits, and speaking with professionals, including one of the archivists and curators of the Orange County Regional History Center, this was the best field trip I’ve been on. Over the past few months, I have wanted to create small exhibits of my own to expand my creative skills in the field. On this trip, I received more solid advice on how to make that happen and how to consider what will be most engaging and impactful for the visitor.
Tips for creating an exhibit
It is our job to present all of the information objectively, without trying to influence one idea or another. Allow the viewer to draw their own conclusions.
Create interactive elements, such as videos, audio, or hands-on activities, to enhance engagement.
One way to present an exhibit is through storytelling. What is the significance of each item, and how does it move the story forward?
The ultimate goal is to make it impactful enough for the viewer to want to discuss it even after they’ve left the exhibit.
Secret additional tip for museums: create exhibits that will align with school curriculum
As real-life examples used in the new Orlando Collected exhibit, which we received a private tour of, the entire process of creating it involved community engagement; the curator took it a step further by continuing to explore how people of Orlando preserve history, placing a station in the middle of the exhibition to stop and reflect. The best part is that so many people actually engage with the prompt by writing and drawing on the slips, which are saved and will contribute to history in its own way.
It was interesting to see a wall that featured headphones for listening to oral histories. As an intern over the past two semesters, I’ve learned a great deal about the importance of creating and preserving oral histories. Having some of these stories actually displayed as part of the exhibit seemed like a good path to take in this newer way of collecting and showcasing history. When it is possible to do so, I like it when museums use direct quotes, like in the African American history exhibit, or find ways to incorporate the people they’re covering because it helps the narrative by allowing them to tell part of the story, so having the oral histories, the viewers are getting more specific accounts or stories of the overall exhibit theme.
A clever addition to the new exhibit is the small artifact guide booklet, which provides brief descriptions of the artifacts, rather than having walls filled with lengthy text. Many museum goers tend to enjoy looking at the items, sometimes reading one or two lines of the descriptions. This way, the audience doesn’t feel overwhelmed by the amount of words and becomes less interested in the exhibition. This booklet is designed for visitors who appreciate additional background information and want it readily available while exploring, or for those who don’t wish to read it at the moment but may want to revisit it later. Either way, it is an excellent tool for providing information, and taking it home will allow them to reflect on it at a later time.
I could go on about each exhibit and try to analyze why specific pieces were arranged in a particular way, or why certain elements were included. I find this to be a valuable skill to have and build on, especially if I want to create a strong portfolio of exhibits by learning from them and identifying what works for visitors.
Speaking with history professionals also gave me great insight into museums as living organisms. Even established exhibits need changes from time to time, and I was intrigued to hear about one particular artifact that has sparked a drawn-out discussion.
The argument about whether they should take down the Ku Klux Klan robe. This is a thought-provoking issue to explore because I have previously wondered how other visitors react to the upright outfit. Still, I wasn’t sure if its curators had ever considered taking it down, since there is an isolated corner area for the KKK, accompanying other various events surrounding the terror. I found it to be a bold move to have the robe encased because you’re confronted with this ongoing symbol of hate, standing right in front of you. While I cannot definitely say if there is a right or wrong answer to taking it down, I see both sides of the argument. It’s crucial to preserve it for historical purposes, not to display it in a glorifying way, but rather to present it honestly and comprehensively for the sake of the narrative. Conversely, listening to communities affected by KKK violence and their concerns about how the robe is being portrayed is equally essential to prevent traumatic experiences.
This trip was a great way to learn about our future in history while still having a lot of fun exploring new ideas, discussing challenging topics, and gaining insights into the world of history centers and their inner workings. If there is one moment that stuck from this trip during an exceedingly uncertain time for history educators, the curator noted that their approach to presenting information has remained the same; however, the way others interpret what they do has changed.
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