Using Augmented Reality to Champion History

Beth Ritter-Guth, Associate Dean of Online Learning & Educational Technology, Northampton Community College

Built in 1758 by Moravians, The Sun Inn is Bethlehem, PA’s oldest tavern. Famous visitors like George and Mary Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and Ben Franklin enjoyed good food and vibrant hospitality within the stone walls that now stand proud along Bethlehem’s Main St. The Sun Inn is a favorite attraction for visitors to the Christmas City, and it’s Museum (https://suninnbethlehem.org/museum/), Tavern and Christmas City Spirits venues are adored by many around the world.

But, what happens during a pandemic?

The Sun Inn, like every other historical building and business, shuttered its doors to withstand the storm. Operated independently, the Sun Inn lost valuable revenue along with neighboring businesses. The historical beauty of the Inn could only be experienced from the outside, as museum tours were not possible during shut down. The rich and vibrant history of the Sun Inn lay stagnant as the new needs of this new world emerged.

Meanwhile, across town, Northampton Community College was also in a stand still. Known for their commitment to advanced technologies, the department of Online Learning & Educational Technology had lots of “toys” but no one with whom to share. Virtual Reality headsets, a fully stocked Smart Apartment with ioT devices designed for building, breaking, and defending, Ozobots, robots, and other tools sat silent waiting for students to return.

The challenge of making these technologies available, useful and efficient for students and faculty became a reality.  What could they possibly do with two classroom sets of Oculus during a pandemic?  Nothing.  They just had to wait for the world to open back up.

However, there are some technologies that CAN be used remotely that require little money and minimal resources. Augmented Reality, the pairing of digital assets with real world objects, and 2D virtual reality used on a computer, laptop or mobile device are not entirely difficult.

By creating virtual escape rooms using ThingLink (http://thinglink.com) and Google forms, engaging content was just a step away. Add to that technology the possibilities of community partnerships, this simple strategy could help showcase Bethlehem’s brilliant history. 

In the Spring of 2022, Northampton Community College partnered with the Sun Inn to create a virtual interactive tour of the museum. Sarah Burton, Manager of Instructional Design and Innovation, and Beth Ritter-Guth, Associate Dean of Online Learning and Educational Technology, met with members of the Sun Inn Preservation Society to form a plan. Burton created a mockup sample for use at a dinner with stakeholders at the Sun Inn (https://www.thinglink.com/scene/1571521517076873219).

"Using new technologies to showcase the beauty and history of Bethlehem’s oldest tavern is a wonderful collaboration for community enrichment"

In this first phase, Burton, Ritter-Guth, and the Board will showcase elements of the museum.  The final result will be a virtual tour accessible on the Sun Inn website (https://suninnbethlehem.org/) and on Northampton’s OLET website (https://nccolet.com/). 

The first iteration of the virtual tour will hopefully be launched in time for Bethlehem’s citywide Musikfest event (https://www.musikfest.org/). Held annually in August, this 14-day festival draws thousands of visitors to Bethlehem’s Main St. and surrounding area. 

Partnering new technologies with historical venues is a new adventure for NCC and the Sun Inn.  The protype tour will be expanded and developed as new content is created by the Museum, and space will be made for community members and students to contribute content, as well.

Looking forward, Northampton will remain active with the Sun Inn to add materials to the site, and launch a second phase campaign to deploy Augmented Reality within the museum. By using the Roar mobile app (https://www.theroar.io/), visitors to the museum will be able to engage in self-guided tours since volunteer docents are minimal.  Visitors will download the free app and will find strategically placed objects that provide more information about items or people in a variety of ways like informational links, audio clips, videos, small games, and puzzles.

The partnership between Northampton and the Sun Inn has been rewarding. Using new technologies to showcase the beauty and history of Bethlehem’s oldest tavern is a wonderful collaboration for community enrichment. 

For those interested in learning more about Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, or Northampton’s Smart Apartment Learning Lab, please reach out to Beth Ritter-Guth at britter-guth@northampton.edu

Augmented Reality

Virtual Reality

Educational Technology

IoT