Help Shape the Future of Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts
We want to know how we can support and engage you in 2026 and beyond. Will you please share your thoughts by taking our survey?
What is the Annual Survey of Museum-Goers?
The Annual Survey of Museum-Goers, conducted in partnership between Wilkening Consulting and the American Alliance of Museums, helps the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts gain insight into visitors like you and compare the MMFA to others in your locale, of similar type, and the museum field at large. By participating in the Annual Survey of Museum-Goers, you will be:
- Helping the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts deliver better services
- Provide insight to make change and help keep the MMFA meaningful to its community
- Help museums of all types across the country
In 2025, the Annual Survey included 202 museums and heard from over 98,000 respondents!
2026 Themes
The Annual Survey focused on three themes to help the museum field grapple with today’s challenges and opportunities. This year’s themes are:
Earned Income and Visitor Impact
Museums depend on a mix of income sources and earned revenue from “extras” like special exhibition tickets, program fees, dining, shops, and memberships can play a vital role.
But do visitors see these purchases as ways to support the museum’s mission, or simply as added expense? As outside funding becomes harder to secure, understanding how visitors value these experiences and services can provide critical insight into their perceptions and their willingness to contribute to support museum missions.
Meaning and Value of Museum Experiences
Museums are places where awe, wonder, and beauty can leave visitors spellbound. From unexpected encounters with historical objects to rarely seen animals to artwork and scientific discoveries that leave us breathless, a series of moments makes an experience. These deeply meaningful experiences can leave lasting impressions, spark curiosity, provide renewal, and inspire connections that are far-reaching and potentially unifying in a time of uncertainty. How do visitors perceive the value of these experiences? Do they feel that these experiences have the power to combat the effects of heightened polarization?
Repeat Visitation
Back by popular demand!
A clear sign of relevance: repeat visitors. The past two years, we examined how museums can increase repeat visitation. With strong demand from past years’ participants, we’ve folded this previous theme into our regular benchmarking question section. This inquiry considers the frequency and incidence of your museum-goers, as well as the types of engagement they are looking for, providing even more custom insights about your museum-goers’ visitation habits.
About the American Alliance of Museums
The American Alliance of Museums’ mission is to champion equitable and impactful museums by connecting people, fostering learning and community, and nurturing museum excellence. For over 50 years, the accreditation program has been recognized as the gold standard of museum excellence. Accredited institutions like the MMFA strive to ensure the integrity and accessibility of museum collections, reinforce museums’ education and public service roles, and promote good governance practices and ethical behavior.
The survey takes less than 10 minutes on average. Your participation is voluntary, and all questions in the survey are optional.
If you agree to participate and are 18 years or older, please click the link below to begin.
