Go Beyond the Walls, a virtual reality experience that puts users directly in the museum’s galleries of the Smithsonian American Art Museum! Beyond the Walls blends photoreal imagery of artworks from SAAM’s collection with augmented elements to let users interact with and learn about the museum’s collection using a headset and handheld controller.

BEYOND THE WALLS AT THE SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN ART MUSEUM

This virtual museum includes three unique pieces for users to engage with, leading to a broader, interactive experience of the original art pieces. Users are able to move freely around the museum’s east wing from inside their headsets, and view a dozen paintings, four works of sculpture, and one video art installation in high fidelity. Upon approaching Adams Memorial, users are transported out of the museum and into a 3D volumetric recreation in Rock Creek Park Cemetery, can experience a 360-degree, 6K video of an actual aurora borealis, and are greeted by a volumetric hologram of the artist Alex Prager explaining the inspiration for the 2013 film, Face in the Crowd.

Tips for a Great Virtual Reality Experience

The experience uses a VR headset, so find a place where you are free to move and rotate safely. To “click” on an a teleport marker within the space, press the trigger, point to the teleport location with your handheld controller and release the trigger. Although headphones are not required, it is highly recommended for audio.

Although a VR headset can be used at any age, we recommend 13 years of age and older.