Do Museum Apps Enhance the Experience?

The New York Times recently discussed a new trend developing for museums: iPhone apps. These features, while different from one museum to the next, explore the future possibilities of visitors’ experiences and interactions within the museum environment.

The app for the Museum of Natural History in New York City allows its users to navigate through the exhibits and even provides a Highlights Tour for visitors who are overwhelmed and need to focus their path through the museum. The navigation system also points to facilities such as restrooms, dining areas and shops.

The Museum of Modern Art’s app provides a floor map as well as a floor-by-floor listing of exhibitions, but even more helpful are the Modern Voices audio tours, which provide a more convenient option for information compared with the museum’s audio devices or the written descriptions next to the works.

While these apps are understandable developments in light of the explosion of social media and interactive technology, many museum “purists” would argue that part of the experience is getting lost in museums among the art. What do you think?

To read more about the museum app experience, check out the article.