Immersion Exhibits

[Marco Island]

We have a new museum and want to build an Indian Village as a total immersion environment with cases for artifacts in an exterior room that visitors would view prior to entering the village. We have been told that this idea is an old concept and we should stick with the more "academic" approach of having descriptions and artifacts near the vignette. We don't know what is the best approach. Can anyone help or point me to some references that would provide insight? Thanks

[Museumgirl]

Is this a living history site, or is the village within the walls of a museum? If this is a living history site, it may be too dangerous for the artifacts to be in cases outside of the village area due to flucations in temperature, humidity, as well as the potential for damage and theft. If the village is within a museum, the Field Museum in Chicago has something similar. They have teepees set up that visitors can go in as an interactive experience, but all artifacts are displayed in traditional cases with traditional labels and interpretation around the room. It works very well!