VR Tours

A new way to experience Kam Wah Chung & Co. Museum, virtually! Here is the link for our brand new virtual tour of Kam Wah Chung. This is brand new for Oregon State Parks and we are one of three pilot parks for this new interpretive experience. Click on the 360 button to begin your tour!

360 Tour

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The Kam Wah Chung State Heritage Site Virtual Reality (VR) Experience Project 2020 is an experiment to bring another level of interaction to Oregon State Parks.

Oregon State Parks purchased equipment necessary for viewing 360° video and VR and AR (Augmented Reality) content on-site at the Kam Wah Chung Interpretive Center.

Oregon State Parks hired Visiting Media, an enhanced technology and immersive content production company out of Portland, OR, to professionally film VR guided tours content to be used with on-site equipment, websites, social media, and QR capable equipment. The VR tour of KWC also includes interaction points, or buttons, that you can click to learn more about an object, room, or other information as it relates to the tour. Websites and social media content will be available through Oregon State Parks’ official Kam Wah Chung website and social media platforms as well as our website and social media platforms.

The goal of the KWC VR Experience is to share the history of this unique site in eastern Oregon. One of Oregon State Parks missions is complete inclusion of all people, including people with disabilities, children, or underrepresented populations through this experience. Also, the VR experience will allow more visitors coming to Kam Wah Chung to have the experience of entering the building virtually, or experience it from home if they are unable to travel in person. Currently, of the 9,500 visitors per year that visit, 1,600 visitors are unable to view the Kam Wah Chung building, either because tours are booked for the day and they do not have another day to visit or that people do not or will not take the one-hour long tour that is required for the tour.

VR will give the ability for persons with disabilities to share the experience of going on a tour of the building, regardless of mobility constraints. It will also help bridge the gap between younger folks and history. Since most of our visitors are over the age of 55, very few young people are engaged with the history and heritage of the past. VR is the tool to bridge that disconnect, combining the excitement of new technology with that of history, viewed through the lens of VR. A survey conducted in 2019 by Oregon State University Extension, John Day, OR showed that about 75% of our visitors are aged 55 or older and only 16% aged 16 or younger.

Through VR, we can offer both groups the opportunity to view and take the tour from our visitor center, at the pace they want to take. KWC VR, through multiple platforms, will provide information and interaction to all people without having to travel to eastern Oregon as well, or do not have the ability to travel. Besides providing opportunities to visitors and other people, VR will help protect the historic building of 160+ years old and its unique collection from the impact of visitors through the building from unnecessary wear and tear.

Stay tuned for more information about this exciting new tour experience!

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The Friends of Kam Wah Chung consists of people like you, amazing volunteers, supporters, and members who contribute to the success and increased interest in the Kam Wah Chung State Heritage Site.

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