The traditional museum is a setting which allows people to visit and admire artifacts in pleasant surroundings. However there are many characteristics of this view which constrain the operation of museums. We will examine some of these characteristics and discuss their resulting disadvantages. First, the artifacts on display are supposed to be real. For example, a real amphora is displayed and not its photograph or some other facsimile. There are many disadvantages to this practice: Some artifacts are too large, or may be incomplete, making their display difficult; expensive measures have to be taken to assure security for the artifacts; and the displays need environmental conditions which preserve the artifacts and make it comfortable for people to view them. Second, the setting for displaying the artifacts is real. That is, a building is specifically used for their display. Such a setting is very expensive both in its construction and its operation. As the number of artifacts increase, both new and old, museums have difficulty providing their archival and storage, let alone their display. As a result, a great number of artifacts have little possibility of ever being displayed. Third, people have to come within directproximity of the artifacts. This implies that people have to travel to reach the museum and then circulate inside to see the artifacts. While this encourages tourism, in general it is debatable whether it is the best approach. The people rarely see the artifacts where they were found, but instead where they can be concentrated for historical or financial reasons: artifacts end up being displayed where people are rather than in their natural environment. In addition, moving artifacts is dangerous and expensive.