Past@Present: Closing the Gap: Frequently Asked Questions at the John Brown House Museum

I shared my experience as an intern for the John Brown House Museum in Providence, RI over at UMass History’s  past@present:

I interned at the John Brown House Museum (JBH) in Providence, RI this summer. Interning in a small historic house museum allowed me to be a jack-of-all-trades. I opened and closed the museum, followed and guided tours, attended meetings, met with docents, assisted at events, create education packets…essentially, a little bit of everything.

The John Brown House Museum in Providence, RI

But the most important task I dealt with on a day-to-day basis was manning the front desk. As the first person patrons would see prior to entering the museum, I handled all their questions. Over the course of the summer, I had a running FAQ list of statements I had heard far too often, such as:

• Is this John Brown the abolitionist? (No.)
• Do you allow photography? (Yes, no flash.)
• Is this museum affiliated with the University? (No.)
• Where’s the bathroom? (To your left.)
• What’s the square footage of the house? (8,000)
• What time do you close? (4 PM)

Read the rest of the post here.