Museum Exhibit - School Group There - What Would You Have Done?

Why would you complain to the staff? It's not their fault, nor do they have any "authority" over the kids.

I would, however, call the principal of the school and let him/her know what happened. Inform the person who has some level of control over the students and (more importantly) the faculty. It is the responsibility of THOSE adults to maintain order whether they are on campus or off.

What would I have done? I'm a little bit snarky and I'm a school administrator, so I would have asked one of the teachers what school they were from and then informed him/her that I would be contacting their principal b/c the behavior of the students and lack of intervention on the part of the adults was disrespectful to the patrons and the museum staff.

Since the exhibit required tickets, and they knew that they had been several large group sales for that day, I would have told them that they should've mentioned on the website that large school groups were planned. Or even had set up an 'adults only' time through the exhibit. That information would've saved you a trip for another day.

Happy Anniversary! I am sorry this happened. I would have confronted one of the teachers and said that you understand it is hard to handle all of the children on a field trip, but that you are not able to hear and you drove over an hour to get there to see it. Ask them to please rein in the unrully kids and deal with it or you will deal with it yourself. I would have asked them to be quiet first if that didn't work, I would go to management. Then if it still ruined my time I would go back to management and ask for a refund--GL

I would have gone right back to the museum ticket staff and told them very politely but firmly that the group was so noisy and active that you were unable even to hear the audio tour and that you wanted to leave and return after lunch that same day and expected to do so on the same ticket (no extra cost to you). I bet the museum would have accommodated you; they were well aware how loud and obnoxious this group was, and museums generally are in the business of pleasing the customers, not running them off. I think if you'd nicely emphasized that the group was not just making it crowded -- no museum can really help that -- but was overriding the audio tour right in your ear, you would have gotten an apology and a later time slot.

I bet this is a very popular exhibit and has "timed entry" but they would have tried to help. Was your initial entry, the one where you were asked to wait an hour, a timed entry -- where your ticket said "enter at 10 a.m." but you were asked to wait until 11 or something along those lines? In that case I would have told them that I had a timed ticket and had based my transportation and parking on that time and could not wait, and expected to be admitted at the stated time.

If you did not buy tickets in advance but that day at the door, then the museum was within its rights to ask you to wait if the exhibit was very crowded. It's possible that due to fire codes they simply could not admit you at the time if the exhibit area was at capacity.

I hope you won't blame the museum, which sounds like it was overwhelmed that particular day. I'm sure the staff was mortified at this group's behavior. You could write an e-mail to the museum (look at the web site for the appropriate contact) and note that the school group created a serious obstacle to even seeing the exhibit, much less enjoying it, and ask that in the future they might let patrons know when a school group is going to be there. But to find that out you'd need to call in advance of your visit rather than turning up. Still, worth a call, if they could let you know.

Thank you for reminding me that if I ever want to go to a museum, pumpkin farm, zoo, or other attraction where a children's field trip might be, I should go after lunch. This is usually when all of the field trippers are getting back on the bus.

I absolutely hate sharing facilities with large groups of kids. Even when the kids are fairly well behaved, they're pretty obnoxious, and they're everywhere.

If you ever find yourself in this position again, ask for a refund and take your sweetie out for lunch/brunch. If you're still wanting to see the exhibit afterwards, you can go back and check for the all clear. (Hopefully, they would have refunded your money for the parking too.)

Hmmm...I am now realizing that you probably couldn't stay at the museum past lunch time since you would have to be home to pick up the kids from school. Bummer. Sorry this happened on your special day out :-(

I had the same thing happen a few years ago at a Titanic Exhibit. I was furious. I wanted to yell something like " EXCUSE ME BUT DO YOU UNDERSTAND YOU ARE VISITING A GRAVE SITE?"

If you can find out the name of the school or even the city these kids are from you could write a letter detailing the lack of respect these kids had for the exhibit. And the teachers did nothing.

I probably would've been adamant about going BEFORE the large group of loud kids that didn't even care about being there, or appreciate it. I am surprised that they wanted you behind them. If it was that unenjoyable, I probably would've complained & asked for a refund.

I would have asked for my money back the first time they asked me to wait.
Immediately! Nevermind the 2nd time with a huge crowd of kids in front of me...No Way! I think you didn'tgo that route because you were out and really had your heart set on a date with your husband.

I think that you would certainly be able to get a free pass to come back. Call and complain to the supervisor. Don't accept no for an answer. Did you find out what school this was? If you did, I would call and complain to the principal.

As far as the day was concerned, I would have plopped myself on a bench and not moved until the kids were gone, and THEN enjoyed the exhibit. I would not have cared one bit that I was only supposed to be there for a prescribed amount of time. That's what I would have done in your shoes.

Hope you get free tickets for another show...

Dawn

There really isn't much you could do other than ask for a refund and leave.

I doubt that the teachers would have allowed you to speak to the children on an individual or even group basis.

I would, however, write a letter to the school, copying it to the Superintendent of the School District, and let them know how unruly the children were and that the children's behavior ruined the experience for everyone else and that the teachers were oblivious to the behavior and did nothing to correct it.

email the museum and tell them your experience i'm sure they'll comp you tickets

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email the museum and tell them your experience i'm sure they'll comp you tickets

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email the museum and tell them your experience i'm sure they'll comp you tickets

if it was a school group it would have had to be scheduled. As unfortunate as it was, its common for that kinda of age group. I dont think the teachers CAN do much other than tell them to be quiet, and to pay attention, they can note who is being unruly and report it to the parents. Even so, I have been to art museums with parents with a couple kids are they are far worse than a school group. It really does suck though. Never fun when you dont enjoy yourself. I would have asked for a refund, or upon seeing them, I would have hung back even longer. Knowing what kids are like in a group. Supervised or not.

Not much you can do, but I'd complain to the school if you can find out the name.

Obviously, I am in the minority here, but I would have talked to the kids. Not as a group, but individually. I do this all the time - if a child is acting up, I talk to them, just like I would my own kids. I understand that it IS exciting to be on a field trip, but really, there are limits. Touching the artifacts? Running into people? That's right at the limit. I'm never really mean, I just point out to them exactly what their own mothers would (hopefully) do, and what their teachers are also (hopefully) telling them (It takes a village, no?): "Excuse me, please be careful, we don't want to knock things down." "Excuse me, please be careful, people are trying to walk." "Excuse me, we are trying to hear the lady talk." "Oh, dear, I think you've lost your group. They've gone that way - run along, now!" I find that the kids KNOW they are being inappropriate - if they are old enough to be on a school field trip, then they are generally old enough to know they are being too rambunctious, and they are embarrassed to be called out by "that mean woman." And the kids then avoid ME. Problem solved.

Several years ago (ok AGES ago), I was chaperone for a trip to DC. I had 3 girls to keep control/track of - no problem, I knew where those girls were the entire time cause they were not allowed to be anywhere except all of us as a group. So the teachers were just not doing a good job - maybe they should've had more help? (also took my own kids to DC a year or two later - we used the same rule as family)

While seeing the Vietnam Wall, a group of mostly girls in front of us must have thought it was funny to sweak their sneakers on the walkway. Not sure just who should have been there with them - no adult very close - but after the 3rd time, I did call them out on it (probably to the pure shock of those kids with me - LOL!). Funny - it got quiet and respectful and the girls made a quick exit! If I had figured out just who they were with - I'd have likely said something there first.

So sorry, what a bummer :(
Unfortunately I have found this kind of thing happens frequently with museum exhibits, especially ones that are very popular with the public. I have had similar experiences in San Francisco, New York and DC, so I know it happens everywhere (and it's not only kids who are pushy, loud and rude.) Just too many people trying to see it all at once.
I'm sorry the group wasn't more responsible though. And didn't they have a docent leading them through? That's part of what docents do, help keep order among large groups. I probably would have complained about THAT, at the end. I don't think school groups should just come through all willy nilly!

Well, knowing that any location can have a large group/school trip, the wait would not have been an issue for me. Once the time came for us and the other large group came, I think I would have asked that you be able to come back in another half an hour or so.

Would it have been possible to hang back and just wait for them to rush off ahead. I do realize you already waited quite a bit, so i don't know if that would have worked or not. If there was any way to cirumvent the group and take the exhibits backwards or atleast out of order that might have been something i was willign to try.

sorry :(

I definitely would have complained to the staff.

oh, how disappointing!
i suppose the 'best' thing to do is to understand that museums are there for educational opportunities, to be resigned and let it go.
but i'd have a hard time doing so.
i think i'd have had to have a talk with the curators, and request a refund or a free ticket for another day.
i suppose you'd run the risk of it happening again, but hopefully this isn't an everyday occurrence.
i'm so sorry your awesome date day got plinked like that.
khairete
S.

I would have asked for my money back. It is the place of the museum to "manage" their patrons of all ages. If the person causing the trouble had been an adult, you would have complained to the guard or the front desk. The museum people were the ones who should have talked with the teachers and told them there was at least one complaint. Really, the only two choices were to have requested a refund and leave or to put up with the behavior. The fact that neither choice was a really happy one - well, that can't be helped.