I recently added Paradox Museum node in Mumbai and I am stumped as to how to apply museum= tag for it. It’s an international chain which is present in many places but none of the locations have used that tag to describe the type of museum. It brands itself as “experiential entertainment” but I have doubts that museum=experiential means anything? I checked the key:museum wiki page too but can’t find anything suitable.
As these places are operated by a profit oriented private company I doubt that they will qualify as museum according to the International Museums Association definition:
A museum is a not-for-profit, permanent institution …
They call themselves museum but in fact they appear to be more a place offering experimental entertainment, as they state on their website:
Paradox Museum is a fast-growing global brand, recognized as one of the most innovative leaders in experiential entertainment.
I would tend to tag their places as something like amenity=experimental_entertainment with name=Paradox Museum but I don’t want to argue about that. If others understand these places as a museum that is fine with me. In this case I think a subkey museum=experimental is fine as well.
Hmm yeah I wasn’t sure myself if it was considered a true “museum” or not. Bit of a weird one to tag…
I don’t think the for-profit / not-for-profit distinction you propose holds up. There are examples of private, for-profit museums that still look and feel a lot like museums to the visitor. Madame Tussauds is one example, the BMW museum another (tagged as tourism=museum in OSM).
In Edinburgh, there are now a lot of “experiences” that are different from museums, even from private collections operated on a for-profit basis.
Examples
- Scottish Whisky Experience
- The Johnnie Walker Experience
- Camera Obscurs
- The Edinburgh Dungeon
- Real Mary King’s Close
I’m not sure where the Paradox Museum in Mumbai falls: if it’s closer to a traditional museum (educational purpose, curated exhibits, self-paced) or closer to the above experiences (focus on fun; scripted experience; immersive, sometimes theatrical).
The places in Edinburgh that I listed self-describe as visitor attractions or immersive experiences. We don’t really have a good tag for them. Mappers have come up with various solutions
tourism=attraction, but this tag is not ideal because it is used both on its own and as an “additional tag” to say that some existing object (e.g. a church or castle) is a tourist trattctionshop=gift/shop=alcohol/ .. to map the gift shop that they inevitably funnel you into (often the “last room” of the experience)shop=ticketto map where you buy tickets for the experience (similar to how we would map the operator of a bus tour or walking tour)
Maybe it’s time for a new tag like tourism=visitor_experience_site or tourism=themed_attraction or tourism=guided_attraction?
I think you mean experiential. With tourism= we would get tourism=experiential_entertainment..
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It’s not only the one im Mumbai but all of them worldwide, being part of an internatinonal chain on franchise base. Just have a look at their website:
About the Company | Paradox Museum Corporate Website
What they claim
Welcome to the Paradox Museum, where fun, curiosity, and wonder come together! Step into a world full of fascinating paradoxes, eye-catching illusions, and interactive experiences that bring joy to visitors of all ages. Here, you don’t just observe—you play, explore, and become part of the exhibits. Every moment is a chance to capture incredible photos and videos that will wow your friends and light up your social media with likes and shares.
does not sound like a museum but much more like an amusement park.
No, I meant experimental because of the experimental entertainment character. Nevertheless experiential may even hit the character better, so no objection against that.
And yes, tourism fit’s better than amenity or leisure.
The only professional article I can find now is Swedish, by a professor. It quotes Paradox Museum co-founder cautioning against the potential self bias/interest/spirit/perspective/scope in ICOM “en intresseorganisation som per definition exkluderar platser som inte uppfyller deras kriterier för ett museum” (tl "an association that by definition excludes places that do not meet their criteria for a museum” ?). Paradox museum i museidiskursens gränsmarker – Essä | Med barn på utställning – Utställningskritik
Relatedly, the co-founder have founded a photography “museum” Fotografiska - Wikipedia
Products and corporate museums are =museum , as how corporate archives are still amenity=archive . They may be distinguished by ownership= , museum= / museum:*= , etc.
Can these visual arts ones be considered as =gallery , which are commonly private for-profit? Or does that require rotating exhibits, and renting out to others’ exhibitions? I would appreciate discussing Madame Tussauds too. Japan has TeamLab.
We shouldn’t decide from the corporate advertising hard-selling its venue alone. It’s possible to have interactive and fun museums. Are video game “museums” not =museum if you can play inside, eg Nintendo? That’s different from some of Edinburgh’s example straight up offering actors, and rides. Should look into the facility more independently.
I have had quite a close look at what they are offering and that does not qualify for a museum tag imo. Have not changed my mind since.
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I also don’t think tourism=museum is a good fit for this type of thing. It almost looks like a standalone version of a “funhouse” attraction you’d find in a theme park (surprisingly I can’t find an established tag for those?).
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