Category: Events
Well, it’s that time of year, when ghosts and goblins roam the streets. Thanks to hit television shows like Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures, ghosts are enjoying extreme popularity these days. As Halloween nears, many historic sites and towns offer ghost tours. I took a ghost walk around Historic Annapolis last Saturday night, and my companion and I both felt it was a wonderful way to learn the history of that historic town. (more…)
I worked as a docent at Homewood Museum last weekend and had the opportunity to interact with what I hope is a future historian. A little girl came to the house museum with her father, and I approached them to see if they had any questions.
“Yes,” the little girl said earnestly, “I do. How old is this house?”
“How old do you think it is?” I asked her.
“Really really old,” she replied. (more…)
Last weekend, I was once again reminded what an important role living history can play making an event both exciting and educational. “The Redcoats Are Coming” was a weekend-long encampment of both British and Continental soldiers on the grounds of Jerusalem Mill Village in Kingsville, MD. We had crowds of about 650 each day (which allowed us to cover our expenses and make some profit too!). Visitors could wander the camps and talk to the re-enactors – the soldiers, as well as their wives, and children. Craftsmen were also on hand to demonstrate their trades. Kids and adults alike learned how to fence and march in line, did laundry by hand, played checkers, helped to cook to stew over the fire, browsed through the sutlers’ colonial wares, and exclaimed over straw mat beds inside each soldier’s tent. (more…)
Wanted to share this great idea from the Maryland Zoo. Their fundraising event “Brew at the Zoo” is this weekend. They sent out a tweet today that said “To win Brew at the Zoo tickets for Saturday – retweet this message. At 4:30pm today we will announce a winner.” What a great way to encourage people to spread the word! In marketing lingo, this is known as “viral marketing.” I’ve seen it used a lot with email and on Facebook, but this is the most effective use I’ve seen on Twitter. And I’m proof that it works – I didn’t get the original tweet from the Zoo, but several of my friends retweeted it to me. And it got me excited, because the illusion was that “everyone else was doing it.” Try it to promote your next event – especially effective for museums with a local following.
I was able to obtain a free article in Baltimore County Suburban Life for Jerusalem Mill Village’s upcoming “The Redcoats Are Coming” event in May. This pub get distributed across the Baltimore County area and will provide the Mill great visibility with new audiences only a half hour away from the site. Hopefully, they will experience a great upswing in traffic at the event because of it!
See the article as a PDF: http://tinyurl.com/djxbs3
Thought I would re-purpose a post I just posted in the AASLH forum, for those who aren’t members.
Here are some ideas on how to market to young professionals and college students: (more…)
An article from the Institute of Museum and Library Services points out that students can lose up to 2 1/2 months worth of learning over the summer holiday if they do not read or participate in other educational activities. The article sites several initiatives libraries and museums across the nation are undertaking to help parents engage their kids during the summer months. (more…)
I am one of the organizers of a History Buffs Meet-Up Group in the Baltimore area. These meet up groups are a ready-made audience for your organization – you just have to invite them! (more…)
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