The Art Engager Reimagining Guided Experiences at Historic Sites
11 snips
Apr 2, 2026 
Kelsie Paul, Director of Learning and Visitor Experience at the Frick Pittsburgh, who led the 'Gilded, Not Golden' tour redesign. Brandon Dillard, Director of Historic Interpretation and Audience Engagement at Monticello, who centers interpretation of slavery and public history. They discuss redesigning guided tours, integrating difficult histories like slavery, training and supporting empathetic guides, and reframing historic-site narratives for diverse audiences.
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Visitors Bring Conflicting Loyalties To Tours
- Historic sites host deeply mixed audiences with opposing political views on figures like Thomas Jefferson.
- Brandon Dillard notes Monticello tours regularly include visitors who adore Jefferson and others who come primarily to learn about the enslaved people who lived there.
Close, Consult, Prototype When Redesigning Tours
- When redesigning a house tour, start from scratch if the old narrative feels disingenuous.
- Kelsie Paul describes keeping Clayton closed after 2020, hiring consultants, assembling an advisory board, and prototyping the new Gilded Not Golden tour over two years.
Research And Descendant Voices Reshape Interpretation
- Interpretive change is often gradual and shaped by research, archaeology, and descendant collaboration.
- Brandon Dillard highlights the Getting Word oral history project evolving into a research department informing archaeology and papers-based interpretation.