Attendance figures were inconsistent

I was disappointed in the lack of fair and accurate reporting in Kathleen McLaughlin’s article, “Missing the
action: Museums struggle to capture foot traffic from busy Central Canal,” which was published in the Aug. 16 edition.
As a statewide organization with a building that serves as both a cultural attraction and a community center, I feel it’s
important to set the record straight.

The most egregious mistake in this piece is the lack of an apples-to-apples attendance comparison amongst the four featured
institutions. Use of the IHS’s overall attendance number of 45,303 (Jan. 1-July 31, 2010) would have been the equivalent
comparison to match the attendance figures of the other museums listed, which included things such as private events and café
usage.

These figures reflect the fact that the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center continues to be a center for our
citizenry—one where the arts and civic dialogue thrive, as well as a place that serves thousands of individuals who
come to explore IHS’s vast collections and participate in related programming. Our outdoor Concerts on the Canal weekly
series alone has already served more than 7,800 people this summer.

Having reopened the History Center in March, we are continuing to build attendance for our new visitor experiences—both
from canal foot traffic and the state at large. The new Indiana Experience is designed to be engaging, interactive and, most
of all, highly personalized. As such, we do not expect to herd a million people through each year, and we do not depend solely
on the modest admission charge to offset the cost of operating the Indiana Experience.

I hope the public will take the time to learn more about all the programs of the Indiana Historical Society, including the
Indiana Experience.

__________

John A. Herbst
President and CEO
Indiana Historical Society