The Earth Information Center at the National Museum of Natural History is the product of a new, multi-year collaboration between NASA and NMNH (a Smithsonian Institution). This exhibition, which opened in October 2024, is designed to amplify the personal relevance of Earth system science for NMNH visitors by underscoring the interconnectedness between everyday human life and our living planet. This is achieved through dynamic, large-scale animations of global data, first-person storytelling, objects, and self-guided digital interactives. Earth Information Center at the National Museum of Natural History will show Earth to visitors from vantage points they rarely get to see, providing opportunities to build curiosity about the world around them and foster rational hope for the future.
In 2023, NASA contracted with PRE to evaluate Earth Information Center at the National Museum of Natural History to design and implement a research study that would support the project team in developing the planned exhibition and identifying opportunities for improvement once installed. Through a combination of formative and summative study components, PRE has been able to support the project team in making data driven adjustments to the exhibition and to learn how the exhibition connects with the target audience.
During early design phases, PRE conducted prototype testing with visitors of an in-process version of the Earth Information Center at the National Museum of Natural History. Data collection activities included an exit survey and interviews, seeking to assess the extent to which the exhibition’s key messages were resonating with visitors and opportunities to improve draft exhibition text to better enhance relevance and resonance.
The exhibition opened to the public in October 2024, enabling PRE to conduct ongoing formative evaluation of digital components of the exhibition, as well as gather summative data regarding the exhibition’s impact on visitors. Data collection activities during this second phase of activity were expanded to include visitor observations, tracking dwell time, engagement, and visitor interactions at the digital components.
Project team members from NASA and NMNH have used summary reports from each phase of information gathering to refine ways data are presented and communicated to visitors, to improve storytelling elements of the exhibition, and to ensure the Earth Information Center at the National Museum of Natural History is able to engage target audiences (youth, ages 13 to 18) in the desired ways.
