Museums and family visitors in Australia

visits and the different roles that various family members play before, during, and after their visit. For many years, museums in Australia have acknowledged the importance of families as visitors, with several establishing separate spaces for these groups, especially those with very young children. Major museums have developed dedicated spaces specifically designed for children and families. For example, the Melbourne Museum's Children's Gallery is aimed at three-to eight-year-olds and has a mandate to encourage children to discover and explore within a range of science issues. The goal is to provide an interactive, hands-on, and playful space that engages all the senses through continually updated exhibitions. The National Museum of Australia in Canberra developed Kspace, an interactive space where children 'design their own future with the help of technology.' This museum also designed Our Place, a series of cozy play spaces where children can explore the museum's themes in their own ways. Other museums have also considered the entire family when designing their dedicated spaces. The Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney, when developing Pirates, its below-the-deck pirate ship experience, realised that…