Museum Planning is a full-service museum planning & exhibition design studio. Since 1999 we have been part of the opening and expanding more than fifty museums worldwide.

Museums are changing. Museums must be inclusive, educational and entertaining. The staff and consultants of Museum Planning share a passion for creating memorable interactive educational family experiences. Our projects include Science Centers, Art Museums, Natural History Museums, Children's Museums, History Museums and Visitor Centers.

Mark Walhimer is Managing Partner of Museum Planning, LLC. He has worked in museums since 1992, including as staff at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis, Liberty Science Center, Discovery Science Center and the Children's Museum of Manhattan.

1. Museum Feasibility Studies: A Museum Feasibility Study is research into a specific geographic area to understand the market of the area. As part of the Feasibility Study is research into the area demographics and current businesses. The goal of a Museum Feasibility Study is to establish the sustainability of a new museum or the expansion of an exiting museum.

2. Museum Strategic Planning: Museum Strategic Planning is establishing tactics and strategies to achieve a Museum’s Mission. Strategic planning starts at the outset with a museum founder and continues once a museum is opened. Successful Museum Plans include measurable goals that can be implemented in the day-to-day operations of a museum.

3. Museum Master Planning: Museum Master Planning is the creation of documents to describe the “vision” of the physical and virtual requirements to support a museum’s mission and operations.

4. Exhibition Development: From the museum’s mission and using the voice of the museum explaining the significance of Art, artifacts, history and science of a collection. Typical output of curators and exhibition developers are essays, exhibition scripts, exhibition labels and lectures.

5. Museum Exhibition Design: Using the collection, the work of curators and exhibition developers and museums researchers, organize content for the understanding and enjoyment of the public.

6. Museum Project Management: Museums can one of several approaches to projects. New projects are either managed by a Project Management Office, by individual departments or outsourced to independent companies or individuals. A “project” is “a temporary group activity designed to produce a unique product, service or result. A project is temporary in that it has a defined beginning and end in time, and therefore defined scope and resources. A project is unique in that it is not a routine operation, but a specific set of operations designed to accomplish a singular goal.”

7. Collections Management: Assistance with assembling collection, documenting provenance of objects and registration and storage of objects.

8. Art Handling: Packing, crating, transportation and installation of Art and artifacts to assure their safety.

9. Exhibition Installation: Transportation, unpacking, mounting and Art Direction of Art, artifacts and exhibits. Includes, lighting, earthquake protection, electrical connections and safety concerns.