Starting April 15, the National Building Museum will be transporting visitors from D.C. to Paris with its inaugural interactive technology exhibition, "Notre-Dame de Paris: The Augmented Exhibition."
This new exhibition offers a multisensory experience by transforming the museum into the historic cathedral with vinyl replicas of the cathedral's flooring, stained-glass transfers on the museum's historic windows, audio of Notre-Dame's organs and tolling bells, as well as a projection of the cathedral's famed rose window.
By using HistoPad, a handheld, touchscreen tablet that creates 360-degree immersive and interactive reconstructions, visitors can travel through time and fully immerse themselves into Notre-Dame de Paris' rich 850-year history.
With this technology, visitors can explore the cathedral being built in the Middle Ages, witness the coronation of Emperor Napoleon I, see the iconic Viollet-le-Duc spire being erected, or be guided through the complex operation of reconstructing and rebuilding the cathedral after the fire.
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"We are thrilled to bring this premier exhibition to the United States and believe it provides a new way to experience one of the world's most iconic buildings," said Aileen Fuchs, the National Building Museum's president and executive director.
"The unique and immersive virtual nature of the exhibition provides a window into this World Heritage site," she said.
This exhibition's North American debut at the museum takes place on the third anniversary of the 2019 fire that destroyed two-thirds of the cathedral's roof. The exhibit will run through Sept. 26.
