Project Overview

Crater of Diamonds State Park

The Challenge (Project Purpose)

The Approach  (Methodology)

The Results

About the Student

A Diamond Primer

There are three components on which plans for a visitor center are based: the agency's mission and goals, the audiences and their uses of the center, and the resources of the site. A successful plan blends all three ingredients. The final product must meet agency needs to ensure achievement of the mission and customer needs by providing programs and facilities that the public (customer) will come to. It must take advantage of site resources to ensure a harmonious design and

 optimal use of interpretive opportunities. It must set audience priorities so that media and programs can be targeted to their needs and to make best use of limited staff and funding resources.

  Interpretive Planning Model   

After Pert, B. and Woods, J.G. "A Communications Model as a Framework for Interpretive Planning." Interpretation Canada 3(5):22-25

Methods for developing an Interpretive Media Concept Plan for Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas:

STEP ONE:  Employee interviews and archival research I

Interviews with park employees who have daily contact with visitors (including interpreters, front desk employees, maintenance staff, restaurant staff, the park superintendent and assistant superintendent) provided a better picture of the following:

• important stories of the site. 
• staff's perception of the quality of the visitors' experience.
• overall functions of the park.
• agency mission, goals, and vision for the future.

A search of Crater of Diamonds' archives revealed a valuable collection of historical photographs, articles, and legal documents outlining the site's history. Arkansas' "diamond expert" from the State Geological Commission was helpful in clarifying the unique volcanic history of the site. 

STEP TWO:  Visitor Survey

• Informal Interviews (March 2000)
• Written Questionnaires (June 2000)

While much of the park staff had first-hand experience with visitors and a basic understanding of their needs and interests, very few facts (except for basic demographical data) were documented. What was needed was a more detailed understanding of the foundation of the planning triangle - the visitor. 

A two-part visitor study helped answer these questions:

• Who is visiting Crater of Diamonds?
• Why do people visit?
• What are their expectations and questions?
• What are their interests and needs?
• Do visitors really expect to find a diamond (most do not), and if they don't, how does it affect the quality of their experience?
• What do visitors like about the park, and what suggestions do they have for improvement? 

STEP THREE:  Assess current exhibits, programs, and services. Existing exhibits, interpretive programs, and visitor services were reviewed in terms of:

• how they affect the quality of the visitors'  experience.
• how well they assist the staff in performing their job.
• effectiveness in communicating the important stories of the site.
• effectiveness in answering visitors' questions, meeting their needs, and reflecting their interests.

Interpretive exhibits inside the Visitor Information Center.

STEP FOUR:  Create the Interpretive Media Concept Plan.

The Plan:

• provides an overview of visitor characteristics and expectations,
• identifies unifying interpretive themes and messages, and
• develops interpretive media designs for several major features at the park.

 This information forms the basis of recommendations for changes that will improve the visitor experience and fulfill agency goals for the park.

Visitors enjoy an interpreter-led "Rockhound Hike."

An interpretive sign on the diamond digging field explains recent commercial mining testing on the site.

Click here to explore the results of this project

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