• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.71-85
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• 2021

The history of the Bakken Museum, the Museum of Electricity in Life, is useful to understand the universality and particularity of a local science museum. Beginning with the small collections at the medical device company, the Bakken Museum has expanded its scope and facilities by reidentifying its mission from research institute to educational center. The educational turn of the Bakken Museum has been completed with two remarkable events: the launch of the Summer Institute in 1984 and the construction of the new education facility, New Wing, in 1999. During this change, the museum staff developed unique strategies for public engagement, using the history of science and technology as an educational tool. The shift of the Bakken Museum's mission provides an excellent example of how a local museum could meet the social needs for museums to be educational centers by utilizing its history and collections.