01373nas a2200133   4500000000100000008004100001100001400042700001700056700001500073245005000088490000700138520108000145022001401225                                       d1 aLiuhe Jin1 aHonggen Xiao1 aHaili Shen00aExperiential authenticity in heritage museums0 v183 aMuseums are important heritage attractions offering authentic cultural experiences. Nevertheless, little is known about how museums create experiential authenticity for their visitors. This study aims to address this lacuna by examining how authentic experiences are achieved through museum visits. Participant observations and semi-structured interviews were combined to generate insights into museum visitors  experiential authenticity. Based on qualitative investigations, a questionnaire-based survey was applied to confirm the structure of museum visit experience. The results demonstrate that authenticity in heritage museum visitation is characteristic of emotional, original, and interactive constructs or genres, which are positively correlated to form a hybridity. Museum visitors  experiential authenticity is evoked through material objects, demonstrations of craftsmanship, modern technology, and other forms of museum re-configuration. The paper also highlights theoretical and practical implications of this research, along with limitations for future studies.  a2212-571X