Interpreting Our Heritage: Fourth Edition, Expanded and Updated

by Freeman Tilden

Every year millions of Americans visit national parks and monuments, state and municipal parks, battlefields, historic houses, and museums. By means of guided walks and talks, tours, exhibits, and signs, visitors experience these areas through a very special kind of communication technique known as "interpretation". For 50 years, Freeman Tilden's Interpreting Our Heritage has been an indispensable sourcebook for those who are responsible for developing and delivering interpretive programs. This expanded and revised anniversary edition includes not only Tilden's classic work but also five additional essays by Tilden on the art and craft of interpretation, a new foreword by former National Park Service director Russell Dickenson, and an introduction by R. Bruce Craig that puts Tilden's writings into perspective for present and future generations.

Whether the challenge is to make a prehistoric site come to life; to explain the geological basis behind a particular rock formation; to touch the hearts and minds of visitors to battlefields, historic homes, and sites; or to teach a child about the wonders of the natural world, Tilden's book, with its explanation of the famed "six principles" of interpretation, provides a guiding hand.

1 pages, Audio CD

Published March 1, 2021

Reviews

[Amber Hawes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully written, but definitely slightly dated. However, I can see why this text is the foundation for almost all others on interpretation. It is very quotable.

[Marieta Grissom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a manual for interpretive rangers in any kind of park setting, whether national, state, local, scenic or historical. The purpose of an interpretive ranger is to stimulate the listener "to widen his horizon of interests and knowledge." I'm paraphrasing now: it is through interpretation that visitors develop an understanding, through understanding, visitors develop appreciation, and through appreciation, visitors develop the desire to protect.

Mr. Tilden uses many examples of places, most of them in the National Park system, to make his points. My husband and I have visited a large majority of the places he mentions, and truly appreciate and understand what he is saying.

The book discusses the value of how rangers make their presentations and the value of visitor centers, guided tours, self-guided walks, campfire programs, park museums, roadside markers and exhibits, handbooks, and audio-visual tools, all of which most visitors take for granted. I cannot imagine visiting a venue in the National Park system without the multitude visitor educational aids.

Also, discussed is the value of the book shops/gift shops, which is where I purchased this book, and where I almost always buy an abundance of books, so I can learn even more after I have seen and experienced the location. Some people like to read about a location before they visit. However, while I include some background material in our trip planning frequently through the park's website, I need to see and experience before I'm ready for in depth learning.

Can you tell that I loved this book?

[CJ Klosterman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this off of a recommendation from my aunt who said it was one of the classic, foundational texts for historical interpretation. I think he had a lot of good ideas that I agree with and have been unintentionally trying to implement in my work. Gave it a 3 bc there wasn’t anything super revolutionary in there but maybe that’s a good thing bc it means I’m doing something right haha.

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some insight and inspirational quotes scattered around, but otherwise cumbersome style and difficult to read. The essence of the book is to a large extent still applicable, albeit the references are outdated. It's a philosophical look at the meaning of interpretation, rather than a practical guide.