Based on valuable feedback from both visitors and volunteers, we are launching a pilot program aimed at enhancing the visitor experience and improving crowd management on our busiest days. On the selected dates below, we will be shifting away from public mansion tours and instead schedule mansion docents to be on-station in the mansion to meaningfully engage with a larger number of visitors.
This strategy, successfully tested on Mother’s Day 2024, received positive feedback and has encouraged us to test it on other high-traffic days.
Key Dates:
Using our visitor data, we identified the following dates as high-visitation periods:
- October Weekends: October 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, and 27 (Saturdays and Sundays)
- Thanksgiving Weekend: November 29, 30, and December 1 (Friday-Sunday)
- Post-Christmas: December 26, 27, 28, and 29 (Thursday-Sunday)
Mansion On-Station Shifts:
We have created the following two-hour shifts for mansion docents based on insights from Mother’s Day 2024 and previous data. We aim to have 3-4 docents per shift:
- 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
- 12-2 p.m.
- 2-4 p.m.
Group Tour Exceptions:
Please note that we will honor previously confirmed group tour requests booked for October weekends. These tours will be integrated into the volunteer schedule and will be treated as private tours. When a group exceeds 40 or more people, we will not staff docents on-station during that time.
Role of VSVs:
Visitor Services Volunteers (VSVs) will play a crucial role during these high-visitation days. As you greet guests at the tour desk, please inform them that our docents will be available throughout the mansion to answer questions, rather than through formal tours. Garden tours will continue as scheduled on October weekends at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m.
Your Feedback is Essential:
Your cooperation and feedback will be instrumental in evaluating this pilot program. We believe this change will create a more welcoming and enjoyable experience for our visitors while helping to protect our collections. Additionally, we hope this approach will alleviate some of the stress associated with high-volume days. We will assess the effectiveness of this strategy and continue collecting visitor data to refine our approach for the busy spring season in 2025.
If you have any questions, concerns, or feedback, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at volunteers@hillwoodmuseum.org. We greatly value your insights.
Thank you for your continued dedication.