The United States of America turned 250 years old this year, as the whole country has been celebrating all month long. If all you know about the American Revolution is from the hit Broadway musical “Hamilton,” what you should know is that George Washington, Alexander Hamilton and the cast of characters fought long after the Declaration of Independence was adopted in July 1776. War events in Louisiana didn’t happen until 1779 and the signing of the Treaty of Paris, which ended the war, wasn’t signed until 1783.
So, I ask, why limit your celebration to just the month of July?
Luckily, for locals and visitors alike, we have the opportunity to celebrate and learn more about the Revolution through early 2027 thanks to the Historic New Orleans Collection and its nontraditional museum experience “American Revolution: The Augmented Exhibit.”
I have been a history buff long before the Tony award winning musical took over the Broadway world, and any type of experience where I can learn more about history is something I’ll sign up for immediately, so it didn’t take much convincing.
I’ll admit, however, knowing that this was an augmented reality and interactive exhibit, I was a bit skeptical. I couldn’t see the vision before getting there, and I prepared myself for it to be so-so. Even when I walked into the space, I had my doubts.
But, thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised by my time there. I have not loved virtual-reality museum-type moments in the past, but I knew this augmented reality meant I wasn’t putting anything over my face, so that was a positive.
When you first get to the exhibit, you’re given a “HistoPad” (basically an iPad) and a brief breakdown of how to navigate the area. The great thing is there are no rules technically on how you walk through the space, allowing you to be your own guide.
There are more than 20 different stations where you scan a code that brings you into that part of the story. You can learn about historical figures, zoom in on different objects, walk around towns, all while moving your HistoPad all around you to get a 360-degree experience.
This is not the most elegant way of saying this, but the graphics on each station are simply… cool. Walking around in what late 18th century Boston would have looked like or seeing the signing of the Declaration (with)in the room where it happened (see what I did there) brought you into the small details that helped shape the war and the country really puts things into perspective as we celebrate such a big milestone.
Another really interesting aspect is that HNCO actually advised Histovery, the French technology firm that produced and designed the exhibit, on the impact of the Gulf Coast and our local area to the war. The team shared with me that HNOC’s Chief Curator, Jason Wiese, worked with Histovery to include an immersive chapter about Gen. Bernardo de Galvez’s battle at Pensacola, highlighting the specific significance of the Gulf Coast and New Orleans. The exhibition follows Gálvez from New Orleans to Pensacola, where his multicultural coalition of Free Men of Color, Acadians and Indigenous volunteers helped him to score a momentous victory against British power in North America.
This new chapter will be available in all iterations of the exhibit all over the country. A piece of our history will be broadcast to everyone and that makes the whole thing more exciting.
My only note at the end of my initial visit was that I personally was not able to spend enough time in the exhibit as a whole. If you like to read everything at a museum and, in this case, click on all the options, you will need a couple of hours carved out in your day. Good thing HNOC has the Café at the Collection in the Brulatour Courtyard for some bites before or after.
I will be making my way back to the exhibit to read everything very soon — especially as the heat continues to torture the city.
The exhibition will be on view through Jan. 17, 2027. It is important to note before you go that while admission is free, timed-entry tickets are required for museumgoers.
For more information about the exhibit, click here.
