Abstract This article discusses a visitor research project conducted at Melbourne Museum in 2017. The aim of the study was to gain a better understanding of the perceptions and experiences of older museum visitors. The project research design entailed collection and interpretation of data from 39 semi-structured interviews and a short survey of 103 older visitors aged 60 years and over. A significant finding was the theme of museums as places of intergenerational experiences: visits with grandchildren were a major factor in older people coming to the museum. Of particular note were the qualitative interviews with 19 older male visitors. In the context of concerns about older men’s health and risk of social isolation following retirement, interpretation of the project data suggests that museums can play a valuable role in catering to this specific cohort which is often overlooked in programing. Museums provide a space for such visitors to have a purposeful and respected elder role as grandfathers where they can bond and enjoy relationships with their grandchildren as teachers, guides, and fellow learners. Recommendations focus on object-centered learning as a programing approach to create more memorable and meaningful experiences for grandfathers and grandchildren visiting museums together.

中文翻译：

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墨尔本博物馆的祖父们：聚焦被忽视的博物馆参观者

摘要 本文讨论了 2017 年在墨尔本博物馆进行的游客研究项目。该研究的目的是更好地了解老年博物馆游客的看法和体验。项目研究设计需要从 39 次半结构化访谈和对 103 名 60 岁及以上的老年游客的简短调查中收集和解释数据。一个重要的发现是博物馆作为代际体验场所的主题：与孙辈一起参观是老年人参观博物馆的主要因素。特别值得注意的是对 19 位年长男性访客的定性采访。在担心老年男性的健康和退休后社会孤立的风险的背景下，对项目数据的解读表明，博物馆可以在迎合这一在规划中经常被忽视的特定人群方面发挥重要作用。博物馆为这些参观者提供了一个空间，让他们扮演祖父的角色，他们可以作为老师、向导和学习者与孙辈建立联系并享受与他们的关系。建议侧重于以对象为中心的学习作为一种编程方法，为一起参观博物馆的祖孙后代创造更难忘和更有意义的体验。