3+ Ways You Can Increase Visitation This Fall

Thursday, October 19, 2017 1:00 PM by Taylor Studios in Professional and Industry Tips


Fall is here! So many people are thrilled with the changing of the seasons. The trees beckon with their vibrant blooms of color, the air becomes crisp, and fall migrations bring skies full of birds. We get to break out our favorite sweaters, order that special seasonal latte, and rejoice as our kids return to school. Yet for those of us in the industry it also means that our museums, zoos, and visitor centers sometimes see visitation fall after summer highs. How can we fight this? Read on to discover some of the most popular ways to increase your visitation this fall season!

Coordinate events to coincide with breaks and holidays of local schools. This gives visitors something to do while they are bored at home during their breaks!
  • Hosting free days at your site will drive up visitation numbers. Though they will not be spending money on an entry fee, visitors will spend money in adjoining places like your café and gift shops. And it will produce return visitors!

  • Host pop-up activities or day camps to encourage parents to bring their kids in to expand extra energy. The Wildlife Museum in Tucson, Arizona is hosting an entire week of “Go Wild” workshops for kids 4-12 while they are on fall break.

Feature something that is “spooky” or fall themed to drive interest to your site. People are already excited for the season take advantage of that excitement and bring people in!
  • Show artifacts that relate to a fall theme, such as the horror and sci-fi art exhibition that the Peabody Essex Museum currently has on view.

  • Create your own special theme like the Louisiana Art and Science Museum has done with their special Harry Potter Halloween event.

  • Highlight your creepier animals – spiders, scorpions, bugs, oh my! Don’t forget to give it a catchy name, like Crawloween, to make it stand out from all the other events that may be going on.

Host a favorite fall event that can become an annual tradition! There are so many events that people look forward to each season. Here are some of our favorite ideas:
  • Harvest festivals such as the one Sinnemahoning State Park is hosting is a great way to bring the community together and get traffic into your area.

  • Oktoberfest is always a favorite with the adults. Consider hosting a beer garden on the front lawn with heritage stations to encourage visitors to learn.

  • Hay rides are great as long as you don’t have hay fever! It’s a wonderful way to bring those less inclined to hike into your park. Killen’s Pond hosts two every weekend and follow it up with more fall fun – campfires!

  • Haunted tours are sometimes looked down upon, but the public sure loves them! Consider featuring something special for the season such as what the Indianapolis Museum of Art is doing.

Other thoughts to keep in mind:

Allowing kids to show off their costumes.

Focus on what fits your mission, don’t reach too far, and work with what you’ve got!

We are so excited to see lots of our former clients participating in these fall events to help drive their numbers up. Check out the work we did for them below:

Audubon Insectarium

Sinnemahoning State Park

Killen’s Pond

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