NATIONAL MUSEUM OF HEALTH AND MEDICINE LAUNCHES SELF-GUIDED DIGITAL AUDIO TOURS
Tour-Mate system available this month
January 22, 2008, Washington, D.C. – The National Museum of Health and Medicine, located on the campus of Walter Reed Army Medical Center, will begin to offer self-guided digital audio tours to visitors starting this month.
The new system, produced in collaboration with Tour-Mate Systems Limited, Inc., features a listening wand that will play a short introduction to a diverse selection of objects and specimens from across the Museum’s exhibitions. The fifth-generation listening wand is designed to be easy to use by all age groups. Its features make it easily accessible for individuals with disabilities and compatible with most hearing aids. The audio tours are self-guided, allowing visitors to tour the Museum in any direction, order, or speed. Small identification tags on display cases will prompt users to enter that number on the listening wand keypad to access the narration.
Users will enjoy a richer experience visiting the Museum as the narrator introduces artifacts and specimens from the exhibits, and offers detailed descriptions that elaborate on the object labels on display.
“We’re thrilled that we can amplify the museum-goers’ experience with such state-of-the-art technology,” said Andrea Schierkolk, the museum’s public programs manager. “Tour-Mate will encourage our visitors to fully enjoy the wide variety of objects available on display, from bones and surgical equipment dating from the Civil War, to the organs in our ‘Human Body, Human Being’ exhibit. While object labels and interpretive text will remain the mainstay of how visitors learn about the objects on display, we know that savvy visitors seek out new technologies to help enrich their visit.”
“The National Museum of Health & Medicine is an ideal installation for Tour-Mate, as it focuses on bringing distinctive and great interpretive experiences to visitors. We are delighted to work with them on this installation,” said Neil Poch, President of Tour-Mate Systems Ltd.
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About the National Museum of Health and Medicine:
- The National Museum of Health and Medicine of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, established in 1862, inspires
interest in and promotes the understanding of medicine—past, present, and future—with a special emphasis on tri-service
American military medicine. As a National Historic Landmark recognized for its ongoing value to the health of the military
and to the nation, the museum identifies, collects, and preserves important and unique resources to support a broad agenda
of innovative exhibits, educational programs, and scientific, historical, and medical research. The museum is located at
Walter Reed Army Medical Center, 6900 Georgia Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. Visit the Museum Web site at
http://www.nmhm.washingtondc.museum or call (202) 782-2200.
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