The present study examines how the translation of exhibit labels in museums influences visitor engagement and contribute to the social sustainability of museums, using Omidvar Brothers Museum in Tehran as a case study. The research was conducted in two stages. First, the effectiveness of 196 exhibit labels was assessed using the Label Effectiveness Measurement Framework, and three label pairs with the highest scores were selected for observation. Second, visitor engagement was measured through label reading behavior, capturing both the proportion of visitors reading the labels and the duration of reading, for Iranian visitors interacting with Persian labels and foreign visitors interacting with English translations. The results indicate that translated labels enhanced engagement among foreign visitors, with an engagement rate of 83.33%, compared to 73.91% for Iranian visitors, while Iranian visitors spent more time reading the labels on average. Overall, the introduction of bilingual labels increased the museum’s total engagement rate, demonstrating that translation effectively expands audience reach and enhances social sustainability. These findings highlight translation as not merely a linguistic tool but an institutional strategy for inclusion, emphasizing the importance of label design and curatorial decisions in fostering meaningful visitor engagement.