A museum date

Illustration credit Angie Pine

You want it to be something special, something she won't easily forget. The expectations are always high which is simultaneously thrilling and irritating. You want to have a lovely time together, learn something about her, share something about yourself. But you still know so little of each other. What food does she like? What kinds of movies? Maybe she is into ballet but you suggest going to a rock concert, unknowingly of her preferences. Could happen. But don’t worry too much. If she said yes, that means she’s curious to try.

A note for the reader. I refer to your date as she/her because it’s easier to type, not because I exclude any other genders from organising a date.

Why a museum? Is it a good place to go on a date? YES. We humans crave beauty. Looking at and possessing beautiful things is our conscious and subconscious desire. Receiving a bouquet of flowers will boost anyone’s day, no matter their age, gender, and occupation. Beauty is a known catalyser of relationship development. It helps if you dress up, get a fresh haircut, go to a nice location and eat something flavorful. But let’s come back to the museum date idea. 

There’s no guarantee it will go well unless you are prepared. Here are my tested and proven personal tips for organising a delightful museum date.

1. Research current exhibitions. The earlier you two are in your relationship, the lighter you’ll want to keep the subject of the exhibition. Subjects of the dark side of human history should wait for later. Classics are always a safe choice. Not everyone is a big fan, but everyone can see how those artists strove to capture the beauty of the world. It puts your mind at peace to look at them.

2. Prepare a tour. Yes, you read me right. Take notes. Write down a couple of things about certain artworks you found interesting. This way you not only can support a graceful conversation, but show that you care.

3. Buy tickets online for a smooth transition into a museum’s inner spaces.

4. Offer to buy some postcards for your date after the visit. Those postcards will remind her of you and the time you spent together.

5. Find a cosy café nearby. Walking through numerous rooms filled with artwork is a rewarding but tiring exercise. Prepare a few options where the two of you could take a break and drink something. I don’t know if you want to include any lunch or dinner plans. I’ll leave that to you.

6. Let her know about your other interests (not related to museums) to show the versatility of your nature. In case she isn’t a frequent museum visitor, you want to widen the horizons for your potential leisure time together. And unobtrusively ask her what activities she enjoys.

If at this point, the list of preparations brings associations with a job interview, that’s because a successful date takes work. The idea of ‘love me for who I am’ is for babies and the immature. The rest of us put effort into polishing our rough edges and getting to know the people we are interested in.

I thought it would be fun to ask a few strangers about their museum dates. Here’s a collection of replies for you.

Stranger 1: ‘Yes, my girlfriend and I went to the Kunstmuseum once. We took some mushrooms for the best experience, but the dosage wasn’t sufficient.’ :(( 

Stranger 2: ‘Date, huh? I went to Mauritshuis with my brother and his daughter. Does it count? Chasing her from room to room was an excellent warm-up to my evening workout.’

Stranger 3: ‘I love all the movies where they show you a museum at night. You know, the kind with someone stealing an impossibly expensive piece. I wish I could spend a night at a museum alone. A date? Sure. If I meet someone as invested in observing brush strokes as I am. I believe it might happen one day.’

Now you are sufficiently equipped. Keep an eye on Foreign Tales future issues. We are going to cover museum exhibitions, gallery openings, and other fun local festivities. Until next time.