MAAM 2026 Annual Conference

How can virtual reality technology benefit museums? What outcomes justify the investment of significant financial and staff resources? For staff at the Intrepid Museum, virtual reality seemed like the key to unlocking unrestored, inaccessible ship spaces. The Museum prototyped a virtual reality experience centered on digital recreations of the ship’s engineering compartments, the most asked-about unrestored spaces on Intrepid. This panel brings together staff from different departments to share what they learned from the development of Explore Intrepid: Engines and Boilers.

Session Takeaways:
•Explore the opportunities and challenges of “digital restoration”
•Understand digital accessibility needs and the role of iterative feedback and updates
•Assess the value of on-site use and app store distribution