Charlottesville, Va., Feb. 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Charlottesville Albemarle Convention and Visitors Bureau (CACVB) invites everyone to consider a visit to James Monroe’s Highland for a groundbreaking augmented reality (AR) tour at the historic home of the nation’s fifth President. Highland is the first historic site in the United States to offer AR tours using smart glasses developed by Epson, providing a hands-free experience. Public beta testing will begin on Monday, February 5, allowing ticketed guests to experience the augmented reality tour at no additional charge. Guests who participate in the beta testing will be asked to complete a short survey about their experience.
Visitors enjoying the AR tour will roam through augmented environments, mostly outdoors, while 3D reconstructions, animated characters, videos, pictures, and text appear on the Highland landscape. The Highland AR experience will immerse visitors in never-before-seen content including conversations between historic Highland residents, 3D archaeological excavations, and architectural renderings. Content for the AR tour was developed from three years of research at the Monroes’ Albemarle County, Virginia property and features the latest discoveries at the site.
“Augmented reality brings historical figures to life and shares the sense of discovery here at Highland in ways that are both educational and immersive,” said Highland Executive Director Sara Bon-Harper. “We expect to draw more—and more diverse—visitors.”
Highland, the home of James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States, is adjacent to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in the Charlottesville, Virginia area. Purchased by Monroe in 1793, the property was home to the Monroe family for nearly 25 years. Acquired by William & Mary (Monroe’s alma mater) in 1974, Highland offers tours each day, hosts community and private events, and features a robust museum shop including a Virginia Artisans Room. For more details about James Monroe’s Highland, visit www.highland.org or call 434.293.8000.
About the Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau (CACVB):
In addition to serving as the global resource for marketing the tourism assets of Charlottesville and Albemarle County, Virginia, through www.visitcharlottesville.org, the CACVB assists tour operators, meeting planners, reunions and other groups in planning visits to the destination. CACVB’s mission is “to enhance the economic prosperity of City and County by promoting, selling and marketing the City of Charlottesville and County of Albemarle, as a destination, in pursuit of the meetings and tourism markets.” CACVB operates the Downtown Visitor Center (610 E Main St) which is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and a second visitor center, the Albemarle Tourism and Adventure Center in downtown Crozet (5791 Three Notch’d Rd) at the historic train depot; it is open Wednesday - Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and Sunday Noon - 5:00 p.m. The CACVB also provides a touch-screen kiosk at Monticello’s Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center. The official website of the CACVB is www.visitcharlottesville.org. In addition, the organization manages powerful social media channels; ExperienceCharlottesville on Facebook, @VisitCVille on Twitter, CVilleVA on Pinterest, and @CharlottesvilleVA on Instagram and Vimeo.
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