Take a virtual tour of Manassas Museum

Six George Mason University students are bringing the Manassas Museum to the world in a new virtual tour now available on the museum’s website.

Although admission is free for Manassas Museum visitors, the students recognized that actually getting to the museum could be a problem for some potential visitors. Those who live across the country or around the world, those who live nearby but are unable to travel, teachers looking for bus-less field trips, or those who want to spend more time viewing exhibits can now view dozens of artifacts installed in the museum’s main gallery with just a few clicks.

George Mason students Daniel Vincent, Joseph Nguyen, Theresa Davis, Michael Andarge, Charles Estes and Zobair Shahadat collaborated with museum staff on the virtual tour project as part of their work in a senior design class.

They identified a need where technology would enhance the museum’s offerings, searched for a platform to make the tour work, and consulted with the City of Manassas Information Technology department to ensure that the tour was compatible with the City’s website.

“I think I speak on behalf of the team in that this has been a rewarding experience in working with the City of Manassas learning and honing our skills that will be invaluable for our careers and the Senior Design class,” says Daniel Vincent, the team lead on the project. “It has also been a rewarding experience helping the Manassas Museum System reach out to the community by using technology, and we hope that our solution makes the System a better place to learn about the City’s history.”

Now that the tour is up and running, museum staff will continue to add details about selected artifacts. Visit http://www.manassasmuseum.org to see the tour.