United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Second Life

Today's weekly Gronstedt Group meeting was a tour of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. It was quite an amazing experience! It is definitely an example of how powerful a 3D immersive environment could be. Every aspect of the virtual world is completely thought out and reflective. The ceilings, shadowing and testimonials provide a chilling experience. The attention to every detail is astonishing! What is even more impressive is the project was a collaboration between the Museum and Washington DC schools. The brainstorming and designing was about 6 weeks and the actual building in Second Life took about 3 months.

The Second Life experience focuses on a single event – Kristallnacht (The Night of Broken Glass). Here, you will take the role of a journalist, recalling the testimony of eyewitnesses as you investigate what happened during the November 1938 pogroms.

The experience walking into the Museum in Second Life was similar to the audio guided tour at Alcatraz. Listening to the testimonials from survivors while walking around the buildings were so vivid, it literally teleports visitors into their shoes. You can hide in a tiny attic similar to Anne Frank, walk through a looted synagogue or sit in a classroom the day after the raid.

You can follow them on twitter or Facebook. Feel free to contact them for more information or a guided tour. If you want an unofficial tour, I can be of service also...