This past summer, I did some “soul searching” for four days. I was visiting my mom in northern England with not much to do except for cleaning out her refrigerator. I eventually grew restless. So, I found the cheapest ticket to a nearby tourist location. I “ended up” (trust me, that is not a complaint) going to Amsterdam- all alone.
Now let me tell you, traveling alone to a foreign country is everything you imagined and then some. I was the biggest loser. I was out of bed and on my way by about 8:oo am every morning. Needless to say, I was finished most days by 3:30 or 4:00. I was the first one in line at the Anne Frank House, the Rijksmuseum, and the Van Gogh Museum. Well, that is a tiny bit of an exaggeration. I wasn’t the first, but I was there in line before they opened, waiting anxiously with my fellow museum dweebs.
Of the three museums; the Anne Frank House, the Rijksmuseum, and the Van Gogh Museum, I was captivated the most by the Anne Frank House. Unlike the other two, it did not offer PDA tours; instead it used technology in a different way. Documentary style footage was on view in rooms, readings from her diary were being played throughout and at the very end, virtual tour stations were set up for the visitors to discover more about Anne and the Frank family.
Maybe it is the extremely emotional side of me, but I was nearly in tears by the end of the visit. There were too many audio and visual elements that evoked emotion. Without them, I doubt it would have been the same experience. It was then when I realized how much we all depend on our senses to appreciate or to react. And this is another example of how technology can be used in museums to enhance the experience.
Folks, this was a long one. I apologize.
“Oh, I am so glad I brought you along.” By Anne Frank
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