The San Bernardino County Museum’s partnership with the Google Cultural Institute now includes online tours of the museum, using technology similar to Google’s familiar “street views.” Web site visitors can tour the main floor of the museum, zooming in to see details of exhibits in the Hall of Geological Wonders, the museum’s foyer, and the Fisk Gallery.
According to Google, “The Cultural Institute is an effort to make important cultural material available and accessible to everyone and to digitally preserve it to educate and inspire future generations. We believe that the Cultural Institute can be an especially useful way to engage students, scholars and teachers through innovative and interactive learning.”
“Google and its robot camera visited during our special exhibit of Navajo rugs,” said Leonard Hernandez, the museum’s interim director. “This exhibit is no longer on display, but it lives on in cyberspace. It’s an excellent example of the Cultural Institute’s effort to digitally preserve important cultural material.”
Google has partnered with hundreds of museums, cultural institutions, and archives from 40 countries to host the world’s cultural treasures online. Through their Cultural Institute, partner museums can upload high quality images from their collections. In addition, Google will develop “street views” inside the museum galleries to offer virtual tours of museum exhibits.
The County Museum’s exciting events and exhibits reflect the effort by the Board of Supervisors to achieve the Countywide Vision by celebrating arts, culture, and education in the county, improving quality of life for residents and visitors.
The San Bernardino County Museum is at 2024 Orange Tree Lane, at the California Street exit from Interstate 10 in Redlands. The museum is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission is $10 (adult), $8 (military or senior), $7 (student), and $5 (child aged 5 to 12). Children under 5 and Museum Association members are admitted free. Parking is free. For more information, visit www.sbcountymuseum.org. The museum is accessible to persons with disabilities.
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