MAAM 2026 Annual Conference

he award-winning tour, Gilded Not Golden, contextualizes concepts like wealth disparity, labor conflicts, and capitalism on public tours of a Gilded Age home, Clayton. But how do you translate these challenging themes and complex narratives for younger learners? Beyond translation, how do you get those students to make deeper connections? To address these questions, staff developed participatory activities asking students to make connections between Gilded Age Pittsburghers, their resources, and impact. This session will share the process of developing these activities and give you tools to implement similar programs at your museum.

Session Takeaways:
•Develop hands-on activities for visitors to prioritize participatory learning over passive learning
•Create programs that respond to school curriculum with their institution’s mission and collection in mind
•Identify potential collaborators, both within and outside of their institution
•Evaluate and adjust activities to fine tune the experience and maintain relevance