Museums get social with beer gardens, music and games

Sarika Jagtiani
The News Journal

Quietly contemplating a masterwork while perched on a bench in a museum isn’t, for some, considered an Instagram-worthy endeavor.

But friends on social media will have some serious FOMO when they see that besides the opportunity for quiet reflection there was a beer garden, biking and a band setting a live soundtrack for the event.

Very Snapchat friendly.

Adapting to a world with millennials -- a larger and more diverse group than the baby boomers, according to the U.S. Census Bureau -- means adapting to what they’re looking for. And it’s not likely the same thing as long-time arts patrons.

That’s one of the catalysts for the addition of after-hours programming for museums in recent years.

“People who are younger, they work during the day. They can’t really come to the museum on a Wednesday afternoon at 1 p.m.,” said Jessica Eisenbrey, marketing manager for Hagley Museum and Library in Wilmington.

The later hours and additions -- food and drinks, games, special activities -- can infuse an energy into the sites.

“I think it kind of plays into the idea that people want to have an experience,” Eisenbrey said.

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Go to a bar and you have a good idea of what to expect. Not as much at a pop-up happy hour.

Hagley Museum & Library, on the Brandywine in Wilmington, focuses on the history of American industry and its impact on the world. It’s fitting as the 235 acres are where E.I. du Pont founded his gunpowder works in 1802.

To re-introduce the site to young professionals and families they’ve tweaked programming to include screenings of pop culture classics like “Mean Girls” and “The Matrix” over the winter. Summer brought the return of their popular Bike & Hike programs on Wednesdays, where guests pay $2 to explore part of the grounds usually closed to foot traffic. 

Nights can draw about 500 guests who stroll the grounds, play cornhole and, on a night where Dogfish Head beers are featured, end the night with a brew.

“They want an inexpensive way to get outside and enjoy the scenery and enjoy time with their friends and family,” Eisenbrey said.

The Delaware Art Museum is hosting summer happy hours on Thursdays, with a dog-friendly one planned in late July.

Cost is another factor museums have considered and, in some cases, cut.

The Delaware Art Museum has for years had free admission on Sundays, but more recently introduced free admission from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursdays. They kicked off their summer happy hours -- a first -- last week and will run them from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursdays throughout the summer.

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But it’s not a first for their social programming.

Over the past few years they’ve hosted date nights with art projects, retro sketch nights and yoga classes have returned. Their first summer music festival brought about 1,500 people to the museum in June, according to Jessica Jenkins, manager of marketing and public relations.

“People now see us as a place where they can have some fun, and they can have some social life here,” she said.

Adding social programming is about introducing something new -- not taking away more traditional ways to experience the sites, according to Jean Cucuzzella McCuskey, senior manager of adult and community programs at Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library.

Having more diverse programs to fit different wants and needs instead of a one-event-fits-all model is the goal, she said.

Because long-time supporters are necessary. But so are millennials.

“Millennials are our future do-gooders,” McCuskey said. “They’re one of the first generations who have grown up with social media and sustainability.

“That’s a big deal for places like us.”

Jay Neal and Michele O'Donnell of Wilmington enjoy the Bike & Hike event at Hagley Museum in Wilmington despite some unplanned rain.

Winterthur’s nearly 90,000 objects of American decorative arts are displayed in Henry Francis du Pont’s 175-room house, set on a 1,000-acre preserve. That includes its 60-acre garden.

The site has long offered everything from in-depth educational programming to family days in the Enchanted Woods, but in 2015 it debuted something different: A beer garden.

The happy hour spot was open select weekends and drew crowds, but they stayed mostly at the visitor center, where the garden was located.

Since then they’ve rejiggered the concept and are hosting after-hours and beer garden nights on select Fridays. Instead of brews and food on the terrace, there’s a beer garden as well as tram rides, live music, short lectures by experts and the galleries are open.

Visitors can discover the property in their own way, McCuskey said.

“People don’t have to come and sit through an hour-long lecture if that’s not their cup of tea.”

5 ways to get social at museums in July

DELAWARE ART MUSEUM

Summer Happy Hours run from 5-7 p.m. Thursdays through Sept. 14. Visitors can sip on retro-inspired cocktails and view the exhibition “The Original Mad Man: Illustrations by Mac Conner,” hang on the terrace or Copeland Sculpture Garden or listen to live music (select nights). July 13 will feature music by Seth Tillman, and July 27 will be a special Game Night, with cornhole, Jenga, and outdoor games. Admission is free Thursdays from 4 to 8 p.m. A dog-friendly night is slated for Aug. 31.

The museum also is hosting an Artini from 7-9 p.m. July 14 with “Mad Men”-era drinks and retro painting project. Beer, wine, snacks and supplies are provided. $35-$40.

2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington. delart.org or 302-571-9590

 

BRANDYWINE RIVER MUSEUM OF ART

Concerts in the Courtyard: The Swinging Foxes will bring boogie woogie and blues to the museum’s rustic courtyard from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, July 14. Tickets are $12-$15, and $8 for students with ID in advance. The day of, tickets increase to $20-$25, and $10 for students. There will be a cash bar and food available for purchase.

The following Saturday and Sunday, July 15-16, the museum hosts its Beer Garden on the Brandywine from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Enjoy beers from the Kennett Brewing Company and an Oktoberfest-inspired menu in the Courtyard before heading inside to see the museum’s massive exhibit “Andrew Wyeth: In Retrospect” or explore the Brandywine River behind the museum. The beer garden is open to the public. Admisison to the museum is $15-$18, $6 for students with ID and children 6-18, and free for children 5 and younger and members.

1 Hoffman’s Mill Road, Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. www.brandywine.org or 610-388-2700.

 

WINTERTHUR MUSEUM & LIBRARY

July’s Winterthur After Hours and Beer Garden is set for Friday, July 28. Guests can grab a drink and explore the grounds, including a sunset tram ride to the site’s barns and outbuildings. The sights of the Reflecting Pool will be paired with the sounds of Los Monstros, whose music is influenced by Latin roots and jazz. Guests can also take a garden stroll with an expert or visit the temporary exhibition “Treasures on Trial: The Art and Science of Detecting Fakes.” Admission is pay what you wish, but reservations are requested at 302-888-4600.

5105 Kennett Pike, Wilmington. www.winterthur.org or 302-888-4600.

 

HAGLEY MUSEUM, GARDEN & LIBRARY

Guests hit Hagley on Wednesday evenings for Bike & Hike, exploring miles of the property usually closed to foot traffic. Picnics are welcome although food is available at the Belin House Organic Cafe; some nights feature Dogfish Head beers. Upcoming themed nights include July 12, Bike, Hike and Brews with Dogfish Head and music by Sporadic Static; July 19, Ice Cream Night with Dino’s Ice Cream & Water Ice Truck; and July 26, Dog Days of Summer, with pups on leashes allowed. Call or visit the site for more themed nights throughout the summer. Admission is $2, free for members and children 5 and younger.

200 Hagley Creek Road (use entrance off Del. 141), Wilmington. www.hagley.org or 302-658-2400.

 

DELAWARE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

Night at the Museum: In the Dark offers a family-friendly happy hour on Friday, July 14. From 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., families can check out the museum while munching on snacks and beverages (yes, there will be some grown-ups-only drinks available). One of the highlights is “In the Dark,” the latest traveling exhibit to take up temporary residence at the museum. The exhibit’s three zones allow visitors to learn about animals that thrive in the dark, what happens under the soil and life in a cave. Admission is $8-$9, $3 for toddlers 1-2 and free for members and babies younger than 1 year.

4840 Kennett Pike, Wilmington. www.delmnh.org or 302-658-9111.