Visitor study at Fort Monroe National Monument (FOMR)

	Social Science Program National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Visitor Services Project

Fort Monroe National Monument

Visitor Study

Insert photo

OMB Approval Number1024-0224

Current Expiration Date: 8-31-2014

IN REPLY REFER TO:	United States Department of the Interior NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Fort Monroe National Monument 41 Bernard Road Fort Monroe, VA 23651
Fall 2013 Dear Visitor: Thank you for participating in this important study. Our goal is to learn about the expectations, opinions, and interests of visitors to Fort Monroe National Monument. This information will assist us in our efforts to better manage this park and to serve you. This questionnaire is only being given to a select number of visitors, so your participation is very important. It should only take about 20 minutes after your visit to complete. When your visit is over, please complete this questionnaire. Seal it in the postage-paid envelope provided and drop it in any U.S. mailbox. If you have any questions, please contact Lena Le, NPS VSP Assistant Director, Park Studies Unit, College of Natural Resources, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive MS1139, Moscow, Idaho 83844-1139,: 208-885-2585 (phone): lenale@uidaho.edu (email). We appreciate your help. Sincerely, (insert electronic signature) Kirsten Talken-Spaulding Superintendent

DIRECTIONS

At the end of your visit:

1. Please have the selected individual (at least 16 years old) complete this questionnaire.

2. For questions that use circles (O), please mark your answer by filling in the circle with black or blue ink. Please do not use pencil.

3. Seal it in the postage-paid envelope provided.

4. Drop it in a U.S. mailbox.

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: The National Park Service as authorized by 16 U.S.C. 1a-7 to collect this information. . We will use this information to evaluate visitor services at Fort Monroe National Monument. Your response to this request is voluntary and anonymous. Your name and contact information have been requested for follow-up mailing purposes only. When analysis of the questionnaire is completed, all name and address files will be destroyed and will in no way be connected with the results of this survey. A Federal agency may not conduct or sponsor, and you are not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB Control Number.

We estimate that it will take about 20 minutes to complete this questionnaire. You may send comments concerning the burden estimates or any aspect of this information collection to: Lena Le, NPS VSP Assistant Director, Park Studies Unit, College of Natural Resources, University of Idaho, 875 Perimeter Drive, MS 1139, Moscow, Idaho 83844-1139, 208-885-2585 (phone), lenale@uidaho.edu (email).

Your Visit To Fort Monroe National Monument

TOPIC AREA 1 – GR2

1. On your visit to Fort Monroe national Monument, were you part of the following types of organized groups? Please mark (_•) one for each.

a) Commercial guided tour group O Yes O No

b) School/educational group O Yes O No

c) Professional conference O Yes O No

d) Military service (individual or family member) O Yes O No

e) Other (scouts, work, church, etc.) O Yes O No

TOPIC AREA 1 – GR3

f) If you were with one of these organized groups, how many people, including yourself, were in this group?

Number of people in organized group

NOTE: Your personal group does not include the larger group that you might be traveling with, such as a school, church, scout, or tour group. For the purposes of this survey, your personal group is anyone who visited the park with you, such as a spouse, family, friends, etc. The following questions pertain to your personal group and not the larger group that you may be traveling with.

TOPIC AREA 1 – GR1

2 a) On this visit to Fort Monroe National Monument, who were you with? Please mark (_•) only one.

O Alone O Friends

O Family O Family and friends

O Other (Please specify)

TOPIC AREA 1 – GR3

b) On this visit, how many people were in your group, including yourself?

Number of people in your personal group

Topic Area 1 – KNOW1

3. a) On November 1, 2011, President Obama signed a proclamation designating portions of Fort Monroe as a National Monument. Prior to receiving this questionnaire, were you aware that Fort Monroe NM is a unit of the National Park System?

O Yes O No

Topic Area 1 – KNOW3

b) Prior to your visit, were you aware that Fort Monroe NM is a partnership park with the National Park Service, Commonwealth of Virginia, City of Hampton, Fort Monroe Authority, and United States Army sharing management decisions?

O Yes O No

Topic Area 3 – TPLAN1

4. a) Prior to this visit, how did you obtain information to prepare for your visit to Fort Monroe National Monument (NM)? Please mark (_•) all that apply in column (a).

O Did not obtain information prior to visit  Go to part (b) of this question

b) If you were to visit Fort Monroe NM in the future, which sources of information would your personal group prefer to use to prepare for your visit? Please mark (_•) all that apply in column (b).

a) This visit	b) Future visit	Source of information
O	O	Friends/relatives/word of mouth
O	O	Inquiry to park via phone, mail, or email
O	O	Fort Monroe NM website: www.nps.gov/fomr
O	O	Other websites — Which one(s)? ______________________
O	O	Local businesses (hotels, motels, restaurants, etc.)
O	O	Maps/brochures
O	O	Newspaper/magazine articles
O	O	Other units of the National Park System (NPS)
O	O	Previous visits
O	O	School class/program
O	O	Social media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Constant Contact, etc.)
O	O	State welcome center/visitors bureau/chamber of commerce
O	O	Television/radio programs/DVDs
O	O	Travel guides/tour books (such as AAA, etc.)
O	n/a	Other, this visit (Specify) ____________________________
n/a	O	Other, future visit (Specify) ___________________________

Topic Area 3 – TPLAN2

c) From the sources above, did you receive the type of information needed to prepare for your visit?

O No O Yes  Go to Question 5

Topic Area 3 – TPLAN3

d) If NO, what type of information did you need that was not available? Please be specific.

Topic Area 1 – RES2

5. a) Was every member in your personal group a resident of the Fort Monroe NM area (within 30 miles)?

O No O Yes

Topic Area 3 – TRIPC1

b) Was visiting Fort Monroe NM the primary reason that non-resident members of your personal group came to the area (within 30 miles)?

O Yes O No

TOPIC AREA 3 – TRIPC31 VARIATION

6. a) Please mark (_•) all mapping devices that you used to find your way to Fort Monroe on this visit.

O None  Go to Question 5

O GPS devices

O Online mapping tools (Google Maps, YahooMaps, MapQuest, etc.)

O Printed maps/brochures

O Smartphone/tablet (such as iPads) mapping apps

O Other (Please specify)

TOPIC AREA 3 – TRIPC12

b) Did you have any difficulty locating Fort Monroe NM using the above devices?

O Yes O No  Go to Question 7

TOPIC AREA 3 – TRIPC13

c) If YES, what were the problems?

TOPIC AREA 3 – TRIPC3

7. a) On this visit, did you or any member of your group stay overnight away from their permanent residence on the Fort Monroe NM peninsula or in the area (within 30 miles)?

O Yes O No  Go on to question 8

b) If YES, please list the number of nights any one in your group stayed on the Fort Monroe peninsula or in the area (within 30 miles).

Number of nights on Fort Monroe NM peninsula

Number of nights in Fort Monroe NM area (within 30 miles)

c & d) In which type(s) of accommodations did your group spend the night(s) on the Fort Monroe peninsula and in the area? Please mark (_•) all that apply.

c) On the d) Within

Accommodation peninsula 30 miles

Lodge, motel, rented condo/home, cabin, B&B n/a O

Residence of friends or relatives O O

RV/trailer camping O O

Tent camping in a developed campground O O

Personal seasonal residence O O

Other (Please specify below) O O

c) On the peninsula d) Within 30 miles

TOPIC AREA 3 – TRIPC4&5

8. On this trip, where did you stay on the night before and the night after visiting the Fort Monroe NM area (within 30 miles)? If you stayed at home, please write the name of the town/city and state where you live.

a) BEFORE visit: City/Town State

b) AFTER visit: City/Town State

TOPIC AREA 3 – TRIPC8

9. On this visit, how long did you stay in the Fort Monroe NM area (within 30 miles)? (Please list partial hours or days as ¼, ½, ¾)

O Resident of the area  Go to Question 10

Number of hours, if less than 24 hours

Number of days, if 24 hours or more

TOPIC AREA 3 – TRIPC8 VARIATION

10. a) On this visit, how many hours in total did you spend visiting Fort Monroe NM? (Please list partial hours as ¼, ½, ¾)

Total number of hours visiting the park

TOPIC AREA 3 – TRIPC6

b) Did you visit Fort Monroe NM on more than one day?

O Yes O No

c) If YES, on how many days?

Number of days

TOPIC AREA 3 – TRIPC20

11. From the communities listed below where did you obtain support services (e.g., information, gas, food, lodging) for this visit to Fort Monroe NM? Please mark (_•) all that apply.

O Did not need support services  Go to Question 12

a) Community		b) Services used
		Information	Gas	Food	Lodging
O	Hampton	O	O	O	O
O	Phoebus	O	O	O	O
O	Yorktown	O	O	O	O
O	Colonial Williamsburg	O	O	O	O
O	Newport News	O	O	O	O
O	Other (Specify below) ________________	O	O	O	O

TOPIC AREA 3 – TRIPC21

c) Were you able to obtain all of the services that you needed?

O No O Yes  Go to Question 12

TOPIC AREA 3 – TRIPC22

d) If NO, what needed services were not available?

Service (List) Comments (Please be specific)

TOPIC AREA 3 – TRIPC18

12. On this trip to Fort Monroe NM, what other places in the local area did you visit? Please mark (_•) all that apply.

O Visited Fort Monroe NM only  Go to Question 13

O Buckroe Beach O Jamestown/Yorktown

O Busch Gardens O Living History Museum

O Colonial Williamsburg O Mariners’ Museum

O First Landing State Park O U.S. Army Transportation Museum

O Fort Wool O Virginia Beach

O Hampton History Museum O Virginia Air and Space Center

O Hampton University

O Newsome House Museum and Cultural Center

O Virginia Welcome Center (Please specify)

O Other (Please specify)

TOPIC AREA 3 – TRANS16 VARIATION

13. a) On this visit, how did your personal group access the peninsula? Please mark all that apply in column (a)

 I live on the Live on the peninsula  Go to Question 14

b) If you were to visit in the future, which types of transportation would you prefer be allowed to access the Fort Monroe peninsula? Please mark all that apply in column (b)

a) Access this visit		b) Preferred access on a future visit
O	Bicycle	O
O	Boat	O
O	Car, pickup, van, SUV, motorcycle	O
O	On foot	O
O	RV/motorhome	O
O	Water taxi	O
O	Other (Please specify)	O

TOPIC AREA 3 – TRANS NEW QUESTION

c) Would you prefer to have only foot traffic allowed inside the historic fort?

O Yes, likely O No, unlikely O Not sure

TOPIC AREA 3 – ACT1

14. a) On this visit, in which activities did you or members of your personal group participate within Fort Monroe NM? Please mark (_•) all that apply.

b) On future visits, in which activities would you or members of your personal group participate within Fort Monroe NM? Please mark (_•) all that apply.

a) This visit	b) Future visit	Activity
O	O	Attending scheduled events at Paradise Ocean Club
O	O	Creative arts (photography/drawing/painting/writing)
O	O	Exploring the North Beach area and trails
O	O	Fishing at Engineer’s Pier
O	O	Observing Mill Creek from observation deck
O	O	Picnicking
O	O	Playing on ball fields
O	O	Taking a walking tour with brochure
O	O	Taking ranger or volunteer-led guided tour
O	O	Visiting Fort Monroe NM grounds
O	O	Visiting Old Point Comfort Marina/cafe
O	O	Visiting the Casemate Museum (operated by Commonwealth of Virginia)
O	O	Walking along Outlook Beach
O	O	Other (Specify) ___________________________________

TOPIC AREA 3 – TRIPC35

15. a) During this visit to Fort Monroe NM, did anything detract from your experience?

O Yes O No

b) If YES, please explain.

TOPIC AREA 6 – EVALSERV13

16. a) Please mark (_•) all of the visitor services and facilities that you used at Fort Monroe NM during your visit.

b) For only those services and facilities that you used, please rate their importance to your visit from 1-5.

c) For only those services and facilities that you, please rate their quality from 1-5.

a) Visitor services/facilities used?

b) Importance 1=Not at all important 2=Slightly important 3=Moderately important 4=Very important 5=Extremely important

c) Quality 1=Very poor 2=Poor 3=Average 4=Good 5=Very good

O Access for people with disabilities

O Casemate Museum

O Directional signage (on the peninsula)

O Engineer’s Pier

O Onsite dining and refreshment

O Outdoor exhibits

O Park brochure/map

O Park website: www.nps.gov/fomr

used before or during visit

O Picnic areas

O Ranger/volunteer-led programs

O Restrooms

TOPIC AREA 6 – EVALFEE1 VARIATION

17. a) If bicycle rentals were to be provided in the future, would you be willing to pay $10/hour (maximum $30 per day) to rent a bicycle to use on the Fort Monroe peninsula?

O Yes, likely O No, unlikely O Not sure

b) If you were to visit in the future, would you be willing to pay $5 for a 1-day pass to have access to the historic fort, Casemate Museum, beach, trails, and wildlife observation deck?

O Yes, likely O No, unlikely O Not sure

c) If you were to visit in the future, would you be willing to pay $14 for a 7-day pass to have access to the historic fort, Casemate Museum, beach, trails, and wildlife observation deck?

O Yes, likely O No, unlikely O Not sure

TOPIC AREA 3 – TRANS2

18. a) On this visit, how many vehicles did you (or your personal group) use to arrive at Fort Monroe NM?

Number of vehicles

TOPIC AREA 3 – TRIPC7

b) On this visit, how many times did you enter the park?

Number of entries

TOPIC AREA 6 – EVALFEE1 VARIATION

c) If onsite parking is provided in the future, would you be willing to pay $1/hour to park?

O Yes, likely O No, unlikely O Not sure

TOPIC AREA 3 – FVIS5

19. If you were to visit Fort Monroe NM in the future, how would you prefer to learn more about the park’s cultural and natural history? Please mark (_•) all that apply.

O Not interested in interpretive activities/programs  Go to Question 20

O As a volunteer in the park O Indoor exhibits

O Children’s activities O Roadside exhibits

O Films, movies, videos O Trailside exhibits

O Ranger-guided walks/talks O Self-guided tours

O Electronic media/devices available to visitors (downloadable digital files, podcasts, cell phone tours/apps, interactive computer tours, audio, etc.)

O Living history/costumed interpretive programs

O Park website: www.nps.gov/fomr

O Printed materials (brochures, books, maps, etc.)

O Other (Please specify)

TOPIC AREA 3 – LEARN1

20. This is a three part question. Please read each

a) Fort Monroe NM interpretive programs and visitor center exhibits discuss topics related to colonial history and defense of the nation along the Chesapeake Bay from 1609 to 2011. Please mark (_•) all the topics you learned (or learned more) about on this visit.

O Did not learn about any topics on this visit  Go to part (c) of this question

b) Please indicate how much your level of understanding of each topic improved during your visit. Please mark (_•) one answer for each topic.

c) Please mark (_•) the topics your personal group would be interested in learning (or learning more) about on a future visit.

a) Learned on this visit?		b) Level of understanding improved?				c) Interested on future visit?
		Not at all	A little	Somewhat	A lot	Yes	No
O	Life and experiences of American Indians and early English settlers	O	O	O	O	O	O
O	400-year history of coastal defense and training	O	O	O	O	O	O
O	Life and leisure at Fort Monroe	O	O	O	O	O	O
O	Natural history and the formation of the Chesapeake Bay	O	O	O	O	O	O
O	The first arrival of captured Africans in English colonies and people and events significant to the end of slavery in the U.S.	O	O	O	O	O	O

TOPIC AREA 3 – LEARN3

d) Please list any additional topics your personal group are interested in learning about at Fort Monroe NM.

TOPIC AREA 7 – ECON4

21. For your personal group, please estimate all expenditures for the items below for this visit to Fort Monroe NM and the surrounding area (within 30 miles of the peninsula). Please write "0" if no money was spent in a particular category.

a) Please list your personal group's total expenditures on Fort Monroe peninsula.

b) Please list your personal group's total expenditures in the surrounding area outside the park (within 30 miles).

NOTE: Surrounding area residents should only include expenditures that were just for this visit to Fort Monroe NM.

EXPENDITURES

a) On peninsula b) Within 30 miles

Spent no money (_•) O  Go to (b) O  Go to (c)

Lodge, hotel, motel, cabin, B&B, etc. n/a $

Camping fees and charges $ $

Guide fees and charges $ $

Restaurants and bars $ $

Groceries and takeout food $ $

Gas and oil (auto, RV, boat, etc.) $ $

Other transportation expenses $ $

(rental cars, taxis, boat rental, auto repairs,

but NOT airfare)

Admission, recreation, entertainment fees $ $

All other expenditures (souvenirs, books, $ $

postcards, sporting goods, donations, etc.)

TOPIC AREA 7 – ECON5

c) How many people do the above expenses cover? Please write “0” if no children were covered by the expenditures.

Adults (18 years or over) Children (under 18 years)

TOPIC AREA 1 – AGE1

22. For your personal group on this visit, please provide the following. (If you do not know the answer, leave blank).

	a) Current age	b) U.S. ZIP code or name of country other than U.S.	c) Number of visits to Fort Monroe NM (including this visit) Lifetime
Yourself
Member #2
Member #3
Member #4
Member #5
Member #6
Member #7

TOPIC AREA 7 – ECON1

23. a) For you only, which category best represents your annual household income? Please mark (_•) only one.

O	Less than $24,999	O	$50,000-$74,999	O	$150,000-$199,999
O	$25,000-$34,999	O	$75,000-$99,999	O	$200,000 or more
O	$35,000-$49,999	O	$100,000-$149,999	O	Do not wish to answer

b) How many people are in your household? Number of people

TOPIC AREA 1 – GR4

24. a) Does anyone in your personal group have a physical condition that made it difficult to access or participate in park activities or services?

O Yes O No  Go on to Question 25

b) If YES, what services or activities were difficult to access/participate in?

TOPIC AREA 1 – LANG1

25. When visiting an area such as Fort Monroe NM, what language(s) do most members of your personal group prefer to use for speaking and reading?

a) Speaking O English O Other (Specify)

b) Reading O English O Other (Specify)

c) What services in the parks need to be provided in languages other than English? Please specify any services needed or mark (_•) “None.”

O Service (Specify) - OR - O None

TOPIC AREA 6 – EVALSERV32, 33, & 34

26. a) Would your personal group recommend visiting Fort Monroe NM to others?

O Yes O No

 

b) If YES, please explain why. c) If NO, please explain why not.

TOPIC AREA 6 – EVALSERV3

27. a) What did your personal group like most about your visit to Fort Monroe NM?

TOPIC AREA 6 – EVALSERV3

b) What did your personal group like least about your visit to Fort Monroe NM?

TOPIC AREA 6 – OPMGMT3

28. Is there anything else your personal group would like to tell us about your visit to Fort Monroe NM?

TOPIC AREA 6 – EVALSERV1

29. Overall, how would you rate the quality of the facilities, services, and recreational opportunities provided to your personal group at Fort Monroe NM during this visit? Please mark (_•) one.

Very poor Poor Average Good Very good

O O O O O

Thank you for your help! Please seal the questionnaire in the postage-paid envelope provided and drop it in any U.S. mailbox.

Printed on recycled paper

OFFICIAL BUSINESS

Visitor Services Project

Park Studies Unit

College of Natural Resources

University of Idaho

P.O. Box 441139

Moscow, Idaho 83844-1139