How to Write a Museum Report

One of the assignments given in college-level art, history and anthropology classes is to write a museum report. Basically, professors want you to visit a museum and take a deeper look at historical items. They want you to dig deep into the art and tools surrounding you and explain what they mean. Professors want to know if the artifacts at the museum relate to class and how. Each professor will want something different, but you can begin by taking notes at the museum.

Visit a museum and jot down comments about the different exhibits you visit. Ask the staff for a map so that you can decide which exhibits interest you most. Take notes about at least five artifacts you found in the different areas of the museum. Look at the paintings and note what you see in the background. If there is a battle taking place, write down the type of weaponry being used. Look for symbolic meanings like owls, which symbolize knowledge; write these down.

Ask the personnel where you can find the exhibit on Rome and what kind of bullets the Thompson Model 1928 Submachine Gun used. Write down if they were knowledgeable. Record if they seemed to know more about one area of the museum over another area, such as knowing more about the textile area than the popular entertainment area. Read the exhibit descriptions and decide if all you wanted to know is addressed. If not, figure out what was lacking and how you would remedy the situation. Do not overlook the museum's architectural style. Document if it has pillars or if it is in an old historic building such as a bank, like the Midwest Museum of Art in Elkhart, Indiana.

Write down any connections you find at the museum to the course you are studying. Write the date and time you visited the museum.

Use the museum website as an additional source for fact checking and further information about the exhibits that interest you. Be sure to incorporate this additional information in your final paper.

Double space your report, making sure to indent the first line of every paragraph. Begin by telling about the day you went to the museum and what you saw.

Correlate the artifacts to your class. Your paper should discuss specific artifacts and link them to what you are learning in class.

Conclude by discussing any issues you had at the museum. If the staff could not help you, explain why that was a problem. If you needed no help because the exhibits were clearly explained, remark upon that.