Before the Bulldozers: Historic Southwest D.C. Exposed
An immersive app-based audio walk through Southwest - available for group tours or self-guided
Step into 1950s Southwest D.C. on the eve of one of the federal government’s most destructive experiments: urban renewal. Augmented reality combined with rich, textured audio allows 21st Century participants to take a walk through a historic neighborhood that has largely disappeared. Using location-based storytelling, we trace the paths of three characters: an amateur photographer determined to capture his endangered community on film, an architect whose vision of a gleaming new Southwest captured the imagination of city planners, and a current-day resident of the new Southwest grappling with the paradox of gentrification.
- Starts at Waterfront Metro Station
- Phones provided for students
- Educator-led walking tour (1 mile), ending at the waterfront with a dialogue session
- Best for 5th grade and up
- Maximum 40 students, lasts 1.5 hours
Two-week advance reservations required for all guided tours.
Contact:
acmeducation@si.edu