From Museum to Mass Entertainment

In a relatively short period of time, the museum cluster has become a key element of the tourism sector and an important contributor to the urban economy. In their competition to attract visitors, residents, and businesses, more and more cities are profiling themselves as a Cultural City, an Entertainment City, or a Fantasy City. Meanwhile, museums have evolved from buildings devoted primarily to educational and cultural presentations into public spaces where the visitor reigns. This article examines the increased attention that cities are giving to investments in museum facilities and to the development of spatial concentrations of museums, known as museum clusters. Two case-studies - Amsterdam’s Museumplein and Berlin’s Museuminsel - are used as a backdrop for the description, illustration, and analysis of recent trends.