ARtifacts: Immersive Augmented Reality in Museums
Stepping foot inside any museum has always been a doorway to discovery. But let’s take a detour into reality central for a moment. It’s often an experience that’s way more “meh” than magic. And that just WILL NOT DO.
Enter augmented reality, better known as AR. It’s the game-changer. The mind-melter. The brain-bamboozler. And it’s transforming museum exhibits from snoozy to sensational. AR doesn’t just crank up engagement past 11, it blows the bloody doors off! (That’s from “The Italian Job,” thanks Michael Caine).
With this cutting-edge tech, visitors no longer stroll past exhibits with their hands in their pockets. Instead, they dive headfirst into them (sometimes literally), becoming living, breathing pieces of the story.
How Museums Are Bringing History to Life with Augmented Reality
We’ve also slammed headfirst into a stellar turning point with virtual reality and AR technology, transforming the traditional museum visit into an immersive experience. Instead of merely glancing at a static exhibit and moving on, almost in robotic fashion, visitors can now peel back the layers and explore subjects that truly captivate them.
Case in point; the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. This natural history museum offers visitors an immersive experience in “Bone Hall,” which features skeletal structures of monkeys, fish, bats, and many other animals.
With augmented reality technology, visitors can hover a mobile device over an animal’s skeleton and see what it looks like in its normal flesh-and-blood form. And who doesn’t want to turn their phone into a time-traveling device? What once was just bones is back to its former glory. Wicked.
With AR magic, visitors don’t just see skeletons; they decode the secrets behind movement and behavior, uncovering stories written in those bones. And trust us, Bone Hall is just the tip of the sail-fin. (Stay tuned for the juicy details.)
Hop over to the San Diego Museum of Art, and AR takes on a whole new vibe. Their mobile app lets you experience masterpieces like Monets in, well, a different light—literally. Picture this: a pastoral scene transforms as light dances across the canvas, making colors pop and textures come alive. It’s like the artwork is whispering its secrets directly to you.
This isn’t just cool tech for tech’s sake. AR cranks up the fun while dropping some serious knowledge bombs, creating an unforgettable, “stick-with-you” kind of experience.
Now, it’s worth noting that although AR isn’t full-on VR immersion (no headsets like the Apple Vision Pro required) it still packs a serious punch. By blending the digital with the real world, AR amps up engagement, making every museum visit feel like a content-filled immersive adventure. You could say it cranks it up to 11, but honestly, it’s bigger than that.
6 Mind-Blowing Augmented Reality Adventures You’ll Find in Museums
1. Seek the Golden Snitch
In partnership with Imagine Exhibitions, we conjured up an enchanting slice of magic with “Seek the Golden Snitch” for the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.
This spellbinding augmented reality experience invites Harry Potter fans to channel their inner Quidditch Seeker and chase down the elusive Golden Snitch, all through the lens of their mobile devices.
Designed with accessibility and adventure in mind, the experience uses strategically placed themed photo ops all across Philadelphia, where scanning a QR code conjures the action instantly; no app downloads are required (which is key for maximum engagement).
Thanks to 8th Wall’s Web-AR wizardry, participants are immersed in the thrill of the chase within seconds, blending the digital and real worlds seamlessly for an epic adventure.
By marrying beloved elements of the Wizarding World with cutting-edge AR, “Seek the Golden Snitch” transforms usually passive museum visitors into daring, active participants. It’s more than just an exhibit; it’s an unforgettable journey into the magic of storytelling, powered by NeoPangea’s enduring commitment to creating experiences that inspire awe and ignite imaginations.
2. Bone Hall
We already teased you with the brilliance of The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s “Bone Hall”, but now it’s time to dig deeper into this groundbreaking exhibition. Fun fact: some of these skeletons have been on display since 1881! But thanks to a splash of cutting-edge digital magic, this classic collection has leveled up in ways no one saw coming.
Enter the “Skin and Bones” AR app. With a quick download, visitors can unlock a whole new layer of wonder. Skeletal structures leap off the displays and “come alive,” revealing what these creatures looked like in their full, fleshed-out glory. It’s not just an exhibit; it’s a digital time machine that turns science into something you can feel.
This AR-powered museum experience proves that even the oldest displays can evolve into something entirely new and completely mesmerizing.
Visitors can even take the interaction to the next level by letting the bones of a tiny creature, like a bat, crawl right across their hand. (Don’t worry, it’s all digital... unless you’re into that sort of thing!)
When it comes to using augmented reality to breathe new life into timeless artifact exhibitions, The Smithsonian sets the gold standard. It’s in a league with giants like The Cleveland Museum of Natural History and The British Museum, delivering museum visits that are nothing short of mesmerizing.
3. Stories from Everest
Scaling the world’s tallest mountain is a dream laced with equal parts thrill and terror; a challenge conquered by only a brave few. While this interactive exhibition from National Geographic doesn’t quite deliver the full adrenaline rush of the climb, (and let’s be honest, that’s unachievable for most of us), it offers an awe-inspiring, hands-on taste of what it’s like to take on Everest.
In partnership with the National Geographic Museum, we crafted an AR-powered journey that brings the bone-chilling adventure to life. One standout experience? An interactive augmented reality time-lapse, projected over a scaled-down mountain. Visitors witness the heroic efforts of “Ice Doctors” as they carve a life-or-death path through Everest’s icy terrain. Whether you’re a toddler or a grandparent, you’re right there, on the mountain, feeling that rush without ever having to endure a deadly climb.
In fact, we like to think that it’s much more than an exhibit; it’s an immersive peek into the grit, danger, and triumph of summiting the world’s greatest peak. No crampons required.
Another highlight of the exhibition is a pass-through camera that transforms a real-life 3D model of Everest into an augmented playground. By overlaying scenes and characters, it makes them appear as miniatures navigating the mountain's colossal challenges.
This unique perspective gives visitors a striking sense of Everest’s sheer scale and just how audacious (and maybe a little crazy) climbers need to be to take it on. It’s a bold reminder that tackling this giant isn’t just a climb; it’s a legendary feat of courage and determination.
4. Egon Schiele’s Art: 100-Year Anniversary
Egon Schiele, one of Austria’s most iconic expressionist painters, left an indelible mark on the art world before his untimely death at just 28 in 1918. To celebrate 100 years of his enduring influence, the Belvedere Art Museum, known for its seamless blend of classic and modern art’ crafted a breathtaking exhibition in 2018 that showcased Schiele’s extraordinary portfolio in all its glory.
But the Belvedere didn’t stop at stunning displays in a world-class gallery. They cranked the experience up by weaving in augmented reality to offer visitors a deeper connection to Schiele’s genius.
This was done with a digital platform called Artvive, which allowed visitors to see Schiele’s art pieces through a variety of different lenses. More specifically, it used “UV light, infrared reflectography, microscopic and macroscopic analysis, and even x-rays.”
So visitors could go from seeing the final version of a work...
...to the first version from 1918 by using augmented reality devices for maximum visitor engagement in this national gallery.
If you’re familiar with Google Arts and Culture, which offers detailed breakdowns of famous paintings, the Schiele exhibition should get you equally excited.
5. American History Trivia Instagram Filter
While it’s fair to say COVID hit everyone hard, museums and cultural institutions, which are built on in-person experiences, faced a uniquely crippling challenge when exhibitions came to a grinding halt. No visitors. No engagement. Big problem. They had to think fast and get creative to stay connected with their audiences.
As Albert Einstein wisely said, “In the midst of adversity lies opportunity.” And that’s exactly how we saw it. Partnering with the Franklin Institute, one of the world’s leading science museums, we rose to the challenge with a fresh, digital twist.
Behold... the Instagram Filter. To keep engagement alive without physical visitors, we crafted an interactive filter that turned trivia into a virtual experience. Users tested their knowledge of American presidents right from the Franklin Institute’s Instagram profile, launching the game through their camera on Instagram Stories.
It was a brilliant way (yeah, we’re allowed to get a bit braggy on this one) to keep the museum’s spirit alive, sparking curiosity and learning, all while keeping audiences entertained from the safety of their homes.
Once rolling, visitors got drilled with a series of questions about America’s Founding Fathers. To answer yes, they nodded their heads. To answer no, they shook their heads.
They answered as many questions as they could correctly before getting three answers wrong. At that point, the game was over.
It was simple. It was fun. And it was the perfect way to keep visitors engaged with 3D animations and virtual elements without being able to physically visit the museum. NeoPangea - 1, COVID - 0. We’ll take that win every day.
6. Space Center Houston
Ever wondered what it feels like to blast off into the great unknown? To soar past the stratosphere, set foot on the moon, and gaze back at Earth like a cosmic postcard? Of course you have, you’re only human!
Hate to break it to you though, but unless you’re ready to spend 10 years training to become an astronaut, survive two grueling years in the NASA Astronaut Corps, and risk life and limb, it’s probably not in the cards. (Not impossible… but come on, neither’s winning the lottery.) However, there is a way to get close to experiencing the thrill ride, and Space Center Houston has your back!
Their augmented reality experience lets anyone with a smartphone take a giant leap into the cosmos. From an AR tour of the Space Center to a virtual moonwalk and jaw-dropping footage of the Saturn V launch, it’s as close as you can get without strapping into a rocket.
And for the cherry on top? A selfie filter that lets you suit up with an astronaut helmet; because let’s face it, what’s a space adventure without the perfect (shareable) photo op?
Let’s Bring Your Next Augmented Reality Museum Exhibit To Life
Augmented reality in museums has officially hit its stride; and we assure you, this is only just the beginning!
If you’re ready to harness the power of cutting-edge, immersive tech to create unforgettable visitor experiences, let’s make it happen. Reach out to us today, and together we’ll turn your vision into a reality that wows, inspires, and keeps them coming back for more.
And you’ll have a ton of fun doing it, too. Promise.