The experiences of Texas preservation and conservation sites during the COVID-19 pandemic: opportunities and challenges for public versus private entities

Keywords: COVID-19, Pandemic, Preservation sites, Conservation sites, Parks, Museums, Public entities, Private entities
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Sunday
Session Start / End Time: 2/27/2022 09:40 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/27/2022 11:00 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 46

Abstract

This research examines and compares the experiences of Texas preservation and conservation sites during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, this study focuses on the unequal experiences of public versus private entities and analyzes how COVID-19 affected visitation, revenue, donations, reopening, and programmatic offerings. Conservation sites include publically-managed parks (local, state, and federal), nature centers, conservation lands, and other similarly protected areas. Whereas preservation sites include museums, heritage sites, and historical sites. This mixed-methods study consisted of an online survey with an option for respondents to participate in a follow-up semi-structured phone interview. The survey data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Then our research team conducted phone interviews and the interview data was inductively coded for thematic analysis including both quantitative and qualitative content analyses. During the COVID-19 pandemic, to maintain social distancing people started going to nearby parks and thus park visitation increased. However, there were challenges for more traditional museum settings and visitation to indoor museums decreased during the pandemic. In response, many museums shifted their activities online, which experienced varying degrees of success. Our research indicates that public or private entity type greatly shaped their ability to maintain operations during the pandemic. Private entities were very dependent on donations, which varied significantly during the pandemic, whereas publically supported entities were able to maintain their budget from other sources and donations supplemented revenue streams.