The Gilded Age mansions in Newport, Rhode Island, attract over a million visitors annually. Guiding, engaging, and assisting this vast number of people often falls to signs—our silent servants. At such iconic properties as The Breakers, The Elms, and Chateau-sur-Mer (owned and operated by the Preservation Society of Newport County), I discovered many signs that were beautifully designed or cleverly worded that could inspire historic sites and house museums. These signs have been tested extensively by gazillions of visitors, providing valuable insights that could be adapted to enhance your own site.
Engaging Places 
Excellent examples indeed, both in terms of the graphical presentation and the thought behind them.
“Here’s why you really don’t want to do that” works much better than, “No, I’m telling you not to do that.”
Two that seem a bit odd:
And a note about a type of sign we see so many places, though not one that’s included in your examples: The sign acknowledging the major donor.
Often he or she is described as a philanthropist. While that may be the way the staff and board wishes to think of the person, that’s not what the visitor is interested in. Their question is, “Where did the money come from?” And if they inherited it, then, “How was the money that made up the inheritance made?”
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