Breaking the Silence on How Visitors and Educators Perceive Quiet Spaces in Museums

Abstract

In recent years, museums have begun to think more about the value of creating ‘quiet spaces’. However, there remains little systematic discussion in the literature regarding their definition, characteristics, and purpose. This exploratory study examined perceptions of quiet spaces in museums from the standpoint of both museum educators and visitors. Through semi-structured interviews with 40 participants, it was determined that educators and visitors similarly perceive museum quiet spaces as restorative, inclusive, varied, situated, and spaces to process emotions. Furthermore, the outcomes demonstrated that the meaning of quiet spaces are contextual and mediated by the interplay between the individual’s context and the environmental characteristics of the quiet space itself. These spaces hold the potential to afford enjoyable, memorable, and even transformative experience that supports learning and are, at times, a necessary part of the museum experience for many visitors. The study also speaks to the potential of quiet spaces to be integral to psychological restoration within the museum experience for individuals to exercise their visitor agency and well-being. This study provides valuable insights about the importance and significance of these often neglected or unconsidered museum spaces for visitors and educators alike.