Annual Conference

We are tentatively planning for an in-person conference in Buffalo, New York, in fall 2021. Check back for updates as plans are confirmed or adjusted.

Historic preservation has increasingly come to rely on visitor centers and public education programs as integral aspects of its mission. With the introduction of new digital technologies, public education programs are undergoing a revolution. At the same time, visitor centers continue to function in traditional ways: as ticketing and staging areas, gift shops and bookstores, cafeterias and even restaurants. Their intention has always been to introduce visitors to the relevant historical context while also serving as significant sources of income for the site’s maintenance.

In light of the extraordinary success of Toshiko Mori’s visitor center at the Martin House in Buffalo, the 2020 conference, Interpreting Wright: Visitor Centers and Public Education Programs, will focus on the form and function of visitor centers and their associated educational programs.