Gills Rock Museum Adds Interactive Technology To Offerings

Gills Rock Maritime Museum site manager Adam Gronke demonstrates the museum’s new Augmented Reality technology.

As more historical societies and museums turn to technology to keep history alive, the Door County Maritime Museum in Gills Rock is taking things a step further with the introduction of its newest interactive technology, Augmented Reality.

Visitors are invited to navigate the museum using five interactive stations located at various displays that, with the use of a tablet or Smartphone plus the app Junaio, come to life with stories, videos and photos.

“Part of our job as a museum is to make the information current and applicable to people and their lives now,” said Adam Gronke, DCMM Gills Rock site manager. “In order to do that, you have to use more modern technology and this seemed to be a great alternative to us instead of going out and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

The stories, videos and images shared through the interactive technology are new and represent information Gronke “went above and beyond to find out about.” Over the course of four months, he shared that information with the design company, which put his ideas into action.

Guests of the museum may now watch the Kahlenberg Engines in action, view a birds-eye video of Death’s Door shot by a drone, watch a scuba diver navigate an underwater experience, see the changing faces of the Berylune boat, and hear a 3D fisherman tell the true tale, “The Day the Combers Come In,” from Trygvie Jensen’s book, Through Waves and Gales Come Fishermen’s Tales.

Hear a true fisherman’s tale at Gills Rock Maritime Museum’s ‘Hope’ display.

“It’s an efficient and neat way of us trying to be more interactive with our visitors because whether we like it or not, that’s just the way of the future,” Gronke said. “We have to find a way of trying to get our ideas across to the visitors and it’s the way of the future. We’re just trying to stay current.”

Guests are invited to borrow the museum’s tablets for free or use their own Smartphone or tablet to download the free app.

The Gills Rock Museum, 12724 W. Wisconsin Bay Road, is open daily from 10am – 5pm, seven days a week. Admission is $6 for adults, $3 for youth age 5 – 17, and free for children under 4 and museum members. For more information, visit DCMM.org.