Category Archives: Historical interpretation

Peel-and-Replace Signage: A Durable and Flexible Alternative for Outdoor Interpretation

A large interpretive sign at Kinderdjik in the Netherlands.

On a recent trip to Europe, I encountered one of the most durable yet inexpensive approaches to outdoor signage I’ve seen: printed sheet vinyl applied to thin aluminum laminate panels, typically 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. These signs can be cut into custom shapes, mounted to walls or posts, and grouped together to present text in digestible sections. When panels need revision or repair, the vinyl surface is simply peeled away and replaced.

The advantages are striking. Because the medium is printed vinyl, designers can easily incorporate full-color photographs, maps, diagrams, and QR codes alongside text. Unlike banners, these signs don’t wrinkle or sag, giving them a crisp, professional appearance. Compared with porcelain enamel or glass-based panels—beautiful but costly and still prone to damage—the peel-and-replace model offers museums and nonprofits a flexible, affordable option.

There are cautions. Outdoor durability must be tested over time to ensure resistance to fading or peeling, and they may need to be framed if the sharp corners pose a safety hazard in high-traffic areas. If you’re in the Southwest, these metal signs could become hot enough to shorten the life-span of vinyl. Still, the opportunity is clear: this approach lowers barriers to producing high-quality interpretative signs. Next steps for museums include piloting small-scale installations to measure longevity, visitor response, and cost savings before broader adoption.

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Reimagining Historic House Museums: Two Workshops Coming Up!

House museums across the country are confronting difficult questions about relevance, sustainability, and meaning in the 21st century. What worked twenty years ago—traditional tours, decorative arts displays, and carefully preserved interiors—often isn’t enough today to engage visitors or generate financial stability. Communities are changing, audiences have new expectations, and historic sites are under increasing pressure to demonstrate their value.

That’s why Ken Turino (formerly at Historic New England) and I developed Reimagining the Historic House Museum, an intensive one-day workshop that helps professionals and volunteers tackle these challenges head-on. Over the past decade, we’ve led this program at sites across the United States, working with hundreds of staff, board members, and volunteers to think creatively about interpretation, audience engagement, and business models. Each workshop is highly interactive, blending case studies, small-group activities, and practical exercises. Participants leave not only with new ideas, but with concrete tools to implement change at their own sites.

This fall and next spring, we’ll be offering two opportunities to join us in person:

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Mapping Slavery in Amsterdam: Reflections on a Heritage Guidebook

During a recent trip to the Netherlands, I picked up a copy of Amsterdam Slavery Heritage Guide (Gids Slavernijverleden Amsterdam) , the second extended edition published in 2018. Although it’s been around for nearly a decade, this was my first encounter with it—and I’m glad I made the discovery. As someone interested in the interpretation of African American history and culture, as well as city guides, I found it to be a compelling model for documenting and acknowledging slavery’s legacy in public spaces.

The full-color Guide identifies over 100 locations throughout the city connected to slavery, from major institutions to architectural details that would be easy to overlook. Each site is presented with a bilingual (Dutch and English) description that varies in length, sometimes accompanied by historical context. The locations are not limited to traditional sites such as mansions and churches—many are ordinary houses or warehouses, gablestones, offices, or former homes of prominent individuals. A map at the beginning allows you to design your own exploration of the city’s slavery heritage.

The content is categorized among four topics:

  • Trade and Profit
  • Africans and Asians in Amsterdam
  • Resistance and Abolition
  • Museums and Archives
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Designing for Impact: Why Reflection Should Be at the Heart of Your Museum Experience

In today’s fast-moving, attention-fragmented world, museums are under pressure to do more than just deliver content–they need to make it stick. Whether it’s an online program, a guided tour, or an immersive performance, professionals are increasingly asking: How do we create experiences that matter? Three recent studies point to a clear answer: if you want to deepen impact, design for reflection.

Reflection Creates Meaningful Museum Visits

A recent study by Pieter de Rooij and colleagues at the Dutch Open Air Museum in Arnhem investigated what factors contribute to a memorable, meaningful, or transformative museum experience. Using surveys from over 500 visitors, they found that reflection was the strongest predictor of all three outcomes, while sociability and joy had a smaller yet significant effect. Visitors who were prompted to think about new ideas or connect the experience to their own lives were significantly more likely to report lasting impact.

Interestingly, traditional design features—such as beautiful displays, freedom to roam, or relaxing environments—were not strong predictors of impact. While those elements may support comfort and enjoyment, they don’t on their own foster deeper engagement.

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AASLH’s Interpreting History Series Now on Sale

If you’re looking to expand your bookshelf this summer, now’s a great time to explore the Interpreting History series from the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH). Bloomsbury is currently offering 10–15% off the entire series—an excellent opportunity to add fresh perspectives on interpretation to your library.

Among them is my newest title, Interpreting Christmas, co-authored with Ken Turino. We examine how museums and historic sites can thoughtfully interpret winter holidays in ways that are inclusive, community-centered, and grounded in historical research. If you’ve ever struggled with how (or whether) to “do” Christmas at your site, this book offers a framework—and lots of practical examples.

Even better: AASLH members always receive 20% off all titles in the series, including those not currently on sale. If you’re not already a member, it’s a great time to join.

This sale also comes at a turning point for AASLH’s publishing program. Earlier this year, Bloomsbury acquired Rowman & Littlefield’s academic publishing business, expanding the reach of the Interpreting History series to a much broader international audience.

Of course, most of us don’t write museum books for the royalties (we know we’re not Nora Ephron—or even Nora Roberts). The real reward is seeing our work spark ideas, inspire change, and shape the way history is shared with the public. So whether you’re an interpreter, educator, or site manager, pick up a volume or two—and join the conversation.

Webinar: Interpreting Winter Holidays with Your Community

The winter holidays are some of the most beloved and heavily attended times of year for museums and historic sites—but interpreting them can be a challenge. Whose stories are told? What traditions are represented? How can we ensure our programs are welcoming, accurate, and relevant to our communities?

If you’ve been asking these questions, join me at an upcoming webinar hosted by the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH):

  • “Interpreting Winter Holidays with Your Community”
  • Wednesday, June 12, 2025, 3:00–4:00 PM Eastern
  • $45 / $25 for AASLH members
  • Register here

I’ll be speaking alongside Ken Turino, Martha Katz-Hyman, and Morgan Lloyd, each of whom brings experience and insights into crafting more inclusive, community-centered holiday programs. We’ll explore ways that museums and historic sites can move beyond nostalgic or monolithic narratives and instead embrace a richer variety of traditions and histories—from Hanukkah to Kwanzaa, from secular seasonal festivals to the complexities of Christmas. Whether you’re revamping long-standing programs or launching something new, this session will offer fresh ideas, examples, and practical steps for engaging your community during the holiday season.

In my portion of the webinar, I’ll share strategies for refreshing an existing Christmas event by incorporating research on state and local history, helping organizations better connect with their communities and interpret traditions in a meaningful context.

The webinar is inspired in part by the recent book Interpreting Christmas at Museums and Historic Sites, which Ken and I co-edited and which features contributions from many practitioners grappling with these same questions. As a bonus, webinar attendees will receive a 30% discount on the book.

What is the Future of Interpretation at Historic House Museums?

The world of historic house museums has been grappling with fundamental questions about purpose and sustainability for many years. Two significant gatherings, the Kykuit II Summit in 2007 and the recent 2025 Historic House Summit, highlight key moments in this ongoing discussion. Bridging these two events is the American Association for State and Local History’s (AASLH) STEPS program, particularly its standards for interpretation, which emerged directly from the needs identified in that earlier period. Looking at these three points in time reveals not only evolving ideas but also the increasing urgency and specific challenges facing interpretation today. 

The Kykuit II Summit: The Call for Sustainability and Standards

The Kykuit II Summit, held in April 2007 at the John D. Rockefeller estate, brought together leaders to discuss “the sustainability of historic sites.” This was a follow-up to a similar meeting five years prior. The discussions focused on finding ways for historic sites, the largest segment of the museum community, to thrive. Key questions included the challenging, “unmentionable” ones: “Does America need another house museum?” or “Can America support the existing historic sites it now has?”

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Interpreting Historic House Museums Today: Reflections on the 2025 AASLH Summit

By Mary A. van Balgooy, Vice President, Engaging Places LLC

Last week, I attended the 2025 AASLH Historic House Museums Summit, “Interpreting Historic House Museums Today,” held at the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan. Over 100 museum professionals from across the country came together to assess where interpretation stands today and how it should evolve over the next decade. The Summit’s objectives were clear: attendees would examine the current scope of historic house interpretation, identify trends for the next 10-15 years, and define the major issues shaping the field. Through keynotes, breakout sessions, and informal discussions, attendees tackled major questions about our roles, responsibilities, and hopes for the sector.

Big Ideas from the 2025 AASLH Summit

One of the most powerful themes to emerge was the need to embrace “whole history.” Instead of narrowly focusing on furniture, technology, or architectural details, participants stressed telling a full, human-centered story. This includes voices often left out of traditional interpretation: women, people of color, laborers, and marginalized groups. The idea is not merely to add these perspectives but to reframe interpretation through them, reflecting the complexity and moral ambiguity of historical figures and events.

A second major idea was that historic house museums must move beyond passive presentation into active engagement. Museums should create dialogic experiences where visitors reflect, question, and even challenge the past. Skills like listening, civil discourse, and conflict navigation were identified as essential for future staff training.

Finally, participants stressed the importance of using interpretation as a tool for healing and community building. At a time of social division, historic sites have a unique role to play in fostering empathy, historical curiosity, and nuanced understanding.

Findings and Recommendations

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Webinar: Interpreting Winter Holidays on June 12

I know, we’re barely out of winter and we’re talking about winter holidays?? If you work at a museum or historic site, I know you’re already planning and we’re here to help!

Building upon the AASLH publication Interpreting Christmas at Museums and Historic Sites and our 2024 webinar on Maximizing Your Museum’s Holiday Potential, this webinar will explore how historic houses and history museums can transform the holiday season into a powerful opportunity for community engagement, inclusivity, and innovation. Focusing on Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, this presentation will offer case studies of successful programming and exhibits from across the country and brainstorming on how participants can scale and adapt these ideas to fit their local contexts and community needs.

Presenters include:

DATE: June 12, 2025

TIME: 3:00 – 4:15 pm EASTERN (Remember to adjust for your time zone)

COST: $25 AASLH members/$45 nonmembers

To register or for more details, visit the AASLH Resource Center.

What if the Executive Order Applied to Us? Imagining the Impact on American History Museums

Last week, President Trump issued an executive order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History”. Aimed at federal cultural institutions—especially the Smithsonian—it calls for more patriotic presentations of American history, emphasizing unity, greatness, and optimism while discouraging exhibits that focus on racism, inequality, or gender identity.

Right now, the order applies only to federal museums. But what if it didn’t?

Let’s imagine the impact on non-federal museums and historic sites across the country—many of which have spent years expanding their stories to include previously marginalized voices and difficult truths.

What the Executive Order Says

The order encourages museums to promote “our extraordinary heritage” and to avoid what it calls “ideological indoctrination or divisive narratives.” It criticizes content that is “inherently racist, sexist, oppressive, or otherwise irredeemably flawed” and that “deepens societal divides and fosters a sense of national shame.” Instead, it wants museums to emphasize “American excellence” and the “progress America has made.”

While these directives may be aimed at the Smithsonian Institution, many worry they signal a broader trend—one that could influence funding, public opinion, and professional standards.

Site by Site: Imagined Impacts

George Washington’s Mount Vernon (Virginia)

Current approach: Includes honest depictions of slavery and Washington’s complicated legacy.
Potential impact: Decreased focus on the lives of enslaved people; Greater emphasis on Washington’s military victories and presidency; Shift toward a more heroic and simplified narrative

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