History Comes Alive: Historic Monterey Mobile Phone Tour
Have you ever stood on a street corner in Monterey and wondered, “What was happening 150 years ago in this spot?” If you have a mobile phone, now you can find out! With the new Historic Monterey mobile phone tour, the 19th century meets the 21st. Audio and multimedia historic tales are at your fingertips, at anytime of the day or night.
Bite-Sized Historic Tales
This mobile phone tour answers questions about the historic locations that intrigue visitors the most. There are stops at 16 different localities including Colton Hall, the historic Monterey Jail, the Lower Presidio Historic Park, Cannery Row, the San Carlos Cathedral and even the Monterey Visitors Center, which was once the First French Consulate.
Each stop is bite-sized, with its engaging story told in two minutes or less by a professional actor. For the visitor who wants a more in-depth experience, several locations have multiple stops that delve deeply into different facets of the building’s history.
Multilingual History
"For over three centuries, Monterey's beautiful sweep of bay drew explorers, settlers - even pirates - from around the world," explains Kim Bui-Burton from the City of Monterey. "California's multicultural heritage began here." Whether you’re a local tourist or from far away, you’ll find the Historic Monterey mobile phone tour in your language. In addition to English, the tour has been translated into Spanish, French, German, Japanese and Mandarin Chinese.
History Comes Alive On Your Smartphone: Multimedia, Music and More
While any mobile phone will do, smartphone users can have a truly immersive multimedia experience. As you listen to the narrator, watch a slideshow that shows the building as it has appeared throughout the years – sometimes from the exact perspective of the spot you’re standing on!
Local historians delved into Monterey’s archives, unearthing rarely-seen photos and artworks to highlight the history of these important buildings. Authentic music of the era, played by local musicians, provides the soundtrack to the slideshow. The Historic Monterey smartphone tour includes a depth of historic imagery that can’t be found anywhere else.
Looking for the next stop? The multimedia tour also incorporates Google Maps, ensuring that you know at all times exactly where you are and where to go next.
Historic Tour Accessibility: Access For the Hard of Hearing
The Historic Monterey Mobile Phone Tour has been created with added components for hard of hearing or deaf visitors. The multimedia component comes with subtitles in every language.
Preserve America With a Truly Local Tour
The mobile phone tour was created with a grant from the national Preserve America initiative, dedicated to sharing knowledge about our nation's past and preserving what makes a community unique.
How to Step Into the Past With Your Mobile Phone
Each tour location features a sign with the call-in number and instructions on how to access the tour. (Signs are being rolled out through the month of February.) Visitors can access the tour by dialing 831-718-9123, then entering the appropriate stop number for the site they are at.
Visitors with smartphones can use a barcode reader application to scan QR codes at each stop, which will launch the multimedia component. Don’t know your QR from an LP or TD? Just dial the cell number and follow the instructions to receive a web link via text message.
For full details of the tour, pick up a brochure at the Monterey Visitors Center at 401 Camino El Estero in Monterey, next to Lake El Estero. While you’re there, try out the tour and learn a little bit about the historic adobe that houses the Visitors Center!
Even More History: Monterey State Historic Park Mobile Phone Tour!
The Historic Monterey mobile phone tour isn’t the only mobile phone historic tour in town! Monterey State Historic Park also has a historic mobile phone tour. The Monterey State Historic Park mobile phone tour is currently audio-only; however, a multimedia component and QR codes are currently in development.
Signs at each building on the tour give the unique phone number for the Monterey State Historic Park tour as well as the stop number. You'll also find many other mobile phone tour stops at other state parks in Monterey County, all accessible with the phone number 831-998-9458.
Monterey State Historic Park staff consulted on the Historic Monterey cellphone tour, ensuring that the two tours complement each other and that the visitor experience is almost seamless.
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