Museum Do’s and Don’ts

2 min read

Visiting any cultural object has its own rules and risks. While you wouldn’t actually be at risk if you were to visit a cultural object, unless it is in the middle of a war zone, you still need to know the rules, written and unwritten ones, about visiting such objects.

Museums, in this case, house history, often from all over the world. Visiting a museum requires you to adhere to a certain etiquette. While the rules will vary from museum to museum, you should still know how to behave in a museum. Here are some museum do’s and don’ts.

Do Not Touch the Art Pieces

This is a really simple rule that everyone should follow, without a second thought. Art is precious and some works of art are so ancient that you should definitely never consider touching them. One can ruin a piece of art simply by touching it. While the oil in our skins might not immediately ruin a piece of art, over time and thousands of touches, there will be a mark and nobody wants them, especially the museum.

Do Not use Flash to Take Photos

Using flash in a museum is considered sacrilege. You might even be escorted out of the museum if you are caught using flash, especially more than once. The flash on our cameras and phones can disturb the very essence of some of the things on display, to the point that they can be ruined. When you go on your next museum tours, pay attention and you will hear the “no flash” warning at least ten times while you are inside. Old pieces of art are very sensitive to light. 

Ask Questions and Be Interested

Museums are places where you go to learn and be educated about a certain period or culture of our world. It is important to ask questions and learn. You can ask as many questions as you want, provided that you are not hogging the guide. You can always return to a museum and explore it in silence, or rather, go on a private tour. 

Leave Excess Luggage and Baggage Inside

Most museums have a policy where you can’t take any pointy, sharp, wet or bulky objects inside the museum. You have to leave them in a locker or cloakroom, depending on what type of storage the museum offers. You can only enter museums carrying a very small bag. 

Do Try and Stay Quiet

Conversation is okay within a museum, but try to be as quiet as possible, for the sake of everyone inside. Museums can get crowded and if everyone was to start talking, it wouldn’t be different than being on the streets. 

Visiting a museum requires some previous knowledge and with these do’s and don’ts, you will know how to behave on your next visit.