Madame Tussauds DC is launching a new, fully immersive experience using wearable Augmented Reality (AR), making the attraction one of the first in the US to place AR on smartglasses at the center of their visitor experience. Through the pioneering magic of the immersive technology, the Alive in AR Augmented Reality Experience invites guests to hop between eras and relive moments with celebrities throughout time. The experience offers an all-access pass to getting up close and personal with influential leaders and culture icons of the past and present.

“Every day, Madame Tussauds DC connects visitors with the past and present, bringing history and pop culture icons to life,” said Therese Alvich, general manager for Madame Tussauds Washington, DC. “These highly interactive augmented reality glasses bring the attraction to life right in front of our visitor’s eyes. We love that they feel like they are a part of history, complete with the sights and sounds of a memorable moment.”

“People come to Washington, D.C. in search of a direct and dynamic connection to our Nation’s past. This AR experience will make history and culture real and engaging, which is why we are so excited about this partnership,” said ARtGlass founder and CEO Greg Werkheiser. “While some attractions have experimented with AR on handheld smartphones, Madame Tussauds DC is embracing the more immersive and hands-free smartglass technology.”

This unique AR experience brings life to some of the most pivotal moments in US history allowing guests to do everything from suiting up to go into space and relive the moon landing with Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong to experiencing the energy from the crowd on the National Mall as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech. Guests will step inside monumental moments that shaped our history as modern technology brings new life to the past.

ARtGlass, the company that has pioneered the pairing of augmented reality and smartglass technology with museum and historic tourism, is taking the Madame Tussauds DC experience to the next level. Using audio and visual effects, including 3D images, 360° video, holograms, games, and soundscapes that place visitors at the center of celebrities, pop culture, and key historical moments, the guest experience at Madame Tussauds DC is transformed.

The experience is included in the price of admission. For more information about Madame Tussauds DC and to purchase advance tickets, visit https://www.madametussauds.com/washington-dc/en/tickets/

About The Author

Dean Rogers

Editor-in-Chief/Entertainment Reporter

I knew early on that I wanted to take my place among the stars. One day, my mother saw me reading The Washington Post at a very young age. Who would have known that it would be the building blocks of my journey? Since that day, I dedicated my life to learn all that is learnable. I read everything from encyclopedias, to books, to dictionaries, to magazines. I’m also an avid consumer of television, with my favorite genre being game shows. If you’ve seen me on Who Wants to be a Millionaire or Wheel of Fortune, then you know that this interest has served me well!

My unique style of reporting began back in junior high school, when I started to chronicle the events that shaped my life. Whether it was the annual family vacation or the local science fiction convention, I shot numerous pictures and recorded my thoughts so I could truly appreciate the history. During my senior year at Friendly High, I wrote what was to be my first masterpiece, “Advanced Space Academy – A One Week Journey.” I sent the eleven-page article back to the U.S. Space Camp staff. The article was highly praised for being “one of the best written articles in the history of U.S. Space Camp.” From then on, I knew what I wanted to do for rest of my life — to be a reporter.

Since then, I have trained in Broadcast Journalism at Bowie State University (2008) in Bowie, MD earning a B.S. in Communications. I gained experience in news production and editing through field experiences with Bowie Community Media Corporation, Prince George’s Community Television, and Bowie State University Television. I also wrote scripts for a variety of quiz shows for over five years.

As a lifelong movie buff, I now see close to 100 films every year. I took this love of movies to the next step when I became a co-host for Eclipse Magazine TV in the fall of 2005. While at EMTV, I interviewed celebrities, worked red carpets, and attended a wide variety of movie screenings. In January 2009, I took a leap of faith and started my own entertainment news magazine, The Rogers Revue. Shortly afterward, my life-long journey of studying the silver screen and writing about what I learned finally earned me a place in the Washington Area Film Critics Association.

All of this has led me here, giving you the latest entertainment news for the DMV and the entire nation, and I am truly excited for whatever will come next.

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