Smithsonian Museum Launches VR Experience on Revolutionary War Gunboat
The National Museum of American History, part of the Smithsonian, has introduced a virtual-reality experience named “Gunboat Philadelphia: Save the Revolution!” This immersive journey takes participants back to Lake Champlain in 1776. Wearing VR headsets, players collaborate with Patriot forces to construct and navigate the gunboat Philadelphia, aiming to thwart a British invasion. Tickets are priced at $10 for each player, with a reduced rate of $8 for those playing again on the same day, and group discounts are offered. The Philadelphia, built in 1776, stands as the oldest surviving intact American combat vessel, contributing to a small fleet that successfully delayed British forces.
Key facts
- The VR experience is called 'Gunboat Philadelphia: Save the Revolution!'
- It is presented by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
- The experience transports visitors to Lake Champlain in 1776.
- Participants wear a VR headset and join Patriot forces.
- Tickets cost $10 per player and $8 for repeat same-day players.
- The gunboat Philadelphia dates to 1776 and is the oldest surviving intact American fighting vessel.
- The gunboat was part of a small American fleet that stalled British forces.
- The experience is available at the museum.
Entities
Institutions
- Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History
Locations
- Lake Champlain
- United States