Fort Worth Museum Of Science And History wins award for virtual reality experience

A guest exploring the Apollo 11 landing site in virtual reality at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History as a part of its Launchpad exhibition, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Moon landings. Credit: Fort Worth Museum of Science and History

The Apollo Landing Site Panorama VR Experience at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History earned the Bronze 2020 MUSE Award in the AR/VR/Mixed Reality category by the American Alliance of Museums, the museum said in a news release.


The museum said MUSE awards recognize outstanding achievement in Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums (GLAM) media and are presented to institutions that enhance guest engagement with useful and innovative digital programs and services.
The museum transformed its largest gallery into an eight-month celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo Moon landings.


The exhibition, Launchpad: Promises Kept, connected guests to space exploration through interactive environments, which combined artifacts, hands-on interactives, and personal informational stations.
The Apollo Landing Site Panorama VR consisted of a platform immersed in a Moon-like environment that provided a social learning experience where groups could walk together in the steps of some of America’s greatest heroes. Each VR headset presented real panoramic photography from a different Apollo mission.

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“It was wonderful seeing families having such fun putting on the VR headsets and exploring the Moon together,”  said Museum President Van A. Romans.
Chief Scientist Morgan Rehnberg, Ph.D., curated the exhibition.
“Missions were sent to different areas of the surface of the Moon, with later missions landing near larger craters and hills as the Apollo team gained experience with precision landings,”  Rehnberg said.
– FWBP Staff