Guru, leading creator of digital experiences for museums, aquariums and zoos, has won the Governor’s Historic Preservation Award for 2017 for their AR app with partner Battleship IOWA.
The award presented by the State of California recognises outstanding achievements in the field of historic preservation.
Using technology and storytelling, Battleship IOWA’s app allows visitors to access more educational materials and experience the battleship as it was in its heyday using augmented reality. Guests can take a picture with a 3D Franklin D. Roosevelt, or see what a working mess kitchen or sleeping berths look like, allowing a deeper appreciation for IOWA’s history.
The success of the app is partly down to the commitment of Battleship IOWA to the project- from management to volunteers, the attraction works hard to ensure visitors know about the app, download it and understand how to use it.
This success for Battleship IOWA can be seen financially too. Guru has added multiple languages to the app which has increased the number of group tour visitors by 21% and group tour revenue by 63%.
Guru’s apps allow attractions to bring stories to life that will engage the next generation of visitors. They recently launched a new social media sharing app that can maximise the potential of user generated content.
