Spectacular Design in Museum Exhibitions

Abstract Intrigued by the crowd‐pleasing effects of “the spectacle,” some museums and exhibition designers have begun to enlist the principles used by theaters, theme parks, and public attractions in order to turn museum venues into awe‐inspiring experiences — thereby elevating this inclination into a principle we call Spectacular Design. This article summarizes the results of a year‐long study that compared and contrasted two categories of spectacle: museum and non‐museum. The concept of spectacle is here examined, and a formula is identified, so we can see the commonalities present in Spectacular Design both in public attractions and in museum exhibitions. The hope is to redefine the model for the museum field.