Ephraim Historical Foundation/Ephraim Village Museums Unveils New Interactive Touchscreen Exhibit

The Ephraim Historical Foundation is lucky to own some of the oldest buildings in Door County.  In an age where history and technology is battling for people's attention, the Foundation is striving to bring visitors the best of the "old" by using the "new."

Melissa Ripp, Business & Marketing Director for the Foundation, researched a number of technologies that the Foundation could utilize to make Ephraim's photos, artifacts, and stories more accessible to people of all ages.  One of the technologies that was discussed was the concept of a computerized touchscreen exhibit.  It was decided that this would be an excellent way to display pictures and written histories that otherwise are difficult to display to the public.

What is an interactive exhibit?  In short, an interactive exhibit is anything that provides a visitor with an hands-on, active experience.  It provides a greater understanding of what a museum has to offer by providing an alternative means of learning. 

To begin the interactive exhibit process, Melissa and Sally Jacobson, the Foundation's Executive Director and Curator, met with Joe Rugowski, owner of Digital Design Services (DDS) in Green Bay.  DDS has created and installed many interactive exhibits, including ones for the National Railroad Museum and the Neville Public Museum (both in Green Bay), as well as the Door County Maritime Museum in Sturgeon Bay.

A touchscreen exhibit takes a lot of planning and work.  It is no different than planning a regular museum exhibit.  Photos need to be collected and organized in a way that best tells the story, and written and oral histories need to be combed through to select the best words to support those photos.

With the help of DDS, the Foundation launched their first interactive exhibit this summer.  Titled "Paths to the Door," the exhibit outlines the history of transportation in Door County.  Beginning with a discussion of the difficult topography of Door County land (which made early travel throughout the county very trying) to the introduction of the automobile and the airplane into the peninsula's culture, the exhibit is well-organized, interesting, and a must-see for anyone interested in Door County history.

With the museums now closed for the 2007 season, the next chance to see this exhibit will be when the Anderson Barn History Center reopens on June 13, 2008.  We are very proud of this exhibit and hope that you will come spend some time with it next summer!