New Interactive Kiosks Will Share North Carolina’s History With Visitors
This week, the American Battlefield Trust announced new interactive heritage tourism kiosks, known as the North Carolina History Explorer, will be installed at every welcome center across North Carolina over the next few weeks. The first one was officially installed at the I-77 South Carolina Welcome Center.
“North Carolina played a pivotal role in our nation’s formative conflicts, and people need to know this history,” said Trust President David Duncan. “This kiosk does an incredible job of telling the story of the Tar Heel State and will surely inspire people to see where this history happened for themselves.”
The North Carolina History Explorer provides visitors with views into North Carolina’s history through maps, photography, and other multimedia content, designed to generate curiosity and entice travelers to explore these places for themselves. The first-of-its-kind kiosk was developed by the American Battlefield Trust in collaboration with Interactive Knowledge of Charlotte, N.C., the North Carolina Department of Commerce, and America 250 NC, a program of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
“The NC History Explorer is designed to help visitors discover the people, places, and stories that shaped North Carolina,” said Eric Veal, owner and president of Interactive Knowledge. “Whether someone is visiting from across the country or just down the road, this experience makes it easy to explore our state's rich history and inspires future visits to the historic sites featured throughout the kiosk.”
The North Carolina History Explore has three major eras of North Carolina’s early history: “Our Revolutionary Journey” (1771-1783), “From Statehood to Secession” (1784-1861), and “A State Divided” (1861-1865). They work to tell the story of North Carolina through these different periods of history with a focus on events that happened in the Tar Heel State and the impact of far-away events that impacted North Carolinians.
“As we celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday, now is the time for residents of and visitors to our state to explore the history of North Carolina and learn about its significant contributions to our nation’s history,” said Ansley Herring Wegner, director of America 250 NC. “Everyone who encounters the North Carolina History Explorer walks away with a deeper understanding of significant people, places and events from our shared past."
