Age in Museums

From our studies of how museums can best achieve their primary missions and goals, target audience I think has been a reoccurring theme.  Exhibit designers specifically need to be able to effectively communicate the stories, themes, and perspectives of their exhibits.  They need their direction from the higher ups on who they are presenting this museum too.  Are they geared towards children, teens, young adults, adults, or some variation of them all?

The accessibility of the place needs to be able to handle kids running around making noise, tour groups teaching, and the lone individual forming their own personal experience.  Sometimes being on that lone adventure can be very tiring if others are ruining it for you.  How do you manage that for museums that look to offer an experience to a wide range of users? 

The Boonshoft is one location I think I really first considered that while on my own trip.  They obviously are geared towards a younger age group that represents the more active category of museum visitors.  However, they are very open to having a wider range of ages come to the museum to interact with exhibits and learning programs.  It does however have that lively atmosphere or people running around, both kids and chaperones.  I think it makes for an interesting experience to go through a museum while not being exactly the primary targeted audience. It is not just the topic that creates the atmosphere of the museum but also the audience adjusting to how they want to experience it.