U.S. Train Station Portrays History in Augmented Reality App

Historic train stations are not often on the top of tourists’ must-see lists; however, Union Station Kansas City hopes to enhance visitors' experience with a new augmented reality app that adds historical context to the seemingly simple station.

The app Living History brings history to life in the exact spot where it took place by layering video reenactments of historical events and celebrity encounters over visitors’ smartphone cameras. Among the 10 stories the app portrays are a young Walt Disney behind the camera, Ernest Hemingway helping a man, and the 1933 Kansas City Massacre.

Users must be physically at Union Station Kansas City to activate the augmented reality experience, giving visitors a reason to stop by or spend a few more moments in the station.

Destinations and attractions are beginning to test the merits of augmented reality as a way to educate visitors about their surroundings. In this case, app users can take a photo of themselves interacting with the historical events and share them on social media, making the app a clever marketing tool.

A demo of the app can be seen below: