CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte Museum of History is launching a $1 million augmented reality exhibit that uses handheld technology to transport visitors into scenes from the American Revolution.
The project features “histo pads” that allow users to view 360-degree digital recreations of historical events by placing the devices over physical museum spaces.
The new exhibition serves as an upgrade for a room that has featured a physical diorama of Charlotte from 1775 for approximately 20 years.
By using the new tablets, visitors can view the city and other historical landmarks as they appeared more than two centuries ago.
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The museum partnered with a French technology company to develop 25 distinct historical scenes for the exhibit.
This collection includes 18 famous events from the American Revolution and seven specialized scenes designed specifically to highlight the history of Charlotte and the Carolinas.
Regional highlights featured in the technology include the Battle of Cowpens and two specific scenes from Uptown Charlotte at the intersection of Trade and Tryon streets.
Visitors using the tablets can view a column of British soldiers marching into the city to occupy the courthouse that stood at the center of the crossroads 250 years ago.
Exhibits Director Nolan Dahm demonstrated the technology using a scene of the Boston Massacre.
He explained that the devices transport the user to a specific moment in time when placed over a designated area in the gallery.
“So when you arrive, you’ll get a histo pad, which is what this is called. And it’ll open up, and it takes you back 250 or more years,” Dahm said. “This one’s the Boston Massacre. And here we are. We’re standing in the middle of Boston Square...”
The exhibit also provides context for local historical figures like Ishmael Titus, a soldier who fought in the Battle of Kings Mountain.
Titus was born into slavery in Virginia and was recently featured in the Ken Burns documentary “American Revolution.”
In separate museum developments, the Levine Museum of the New South is preparing for a move to South End.
The museum purchased property at the intersection of South and East boulevards, where Grace Covenant Church is located. The church will eventually be part of the museum campus.
The Levine Museum was founded in 1990 and moved out of its longtime home in Uptown Charlotte in 2022.
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