Preserve Louisiana and the Old Governor’s Mansion

In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, the ways we experience art, history, and culture are undergoing a remarkable transformation. Traditional guided tours and paper maps are giving way to immersive digital experiences that engage visitors in ways previously unimaginable.

Museums, cultural sites, and tourism organizations worldwide are embracing innovative technologies to create deeper connections with their audiences, whether on-site or from the comfort of home.

This case study highlights how Preserve Louisiana develop digital experiences that engage, educate, and inspire. Their story demonstrates not only the versatility of digital platforms but also their power to preserve cultural heritage while making it more accessible than ever before.

Overview

Preserve Louisiana is a cultural institution focused on promoting historical awareness within the state. Founded in 1963, Preserve Louisiana (formerly the Foundation for Historical Louisiana) has endeavored to establish landmark designations and advocate for policy supporting preservation at all levels of government.

In addition to bureaucratic matters, Preserve Louisiana also engages the public with the state’s decorated history through exhibitions, lectures, tours of the Old Governor’s Mansion, and more. Currently, the organization’s mission is: “to promote the preservation of our state’s cultural and architectural heritage through education, advocacy and stewardship.”

In the spirit of keeping the past part of the present, STQRY’s app for the Preserve Louisiana team has helped the Old Governor’s Mansion stay relevant in recent years by engaging the public with its rich history. The app also gave the organization a unique advantage when facing the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Challenge

Preserve Louisiana created their first STQRY app back in 2017. It was primarily a self-guided tour option for visitors who wanted to move through the Old Governor’s Mansion at their own pace, or when the Mansion’s docents were unavailable. This expanded access and increased visitor capacity for the Mansion overall.

Digital tours are a great option for cultural institutions for a variety of reasons, including complete control over the content of the tour itself and modern visitor engagement strategies

However, the COVID-19 pandemic created unique challenges for museums, most of which had to completely shut down all operations for months and were looking at a significant loss of revenue for an unforeseen amount of time.

Fortunately, the Old Governor’s Mansion was well-suited to handle the pandemic with the STQRY app, becoming one of a few cultural institutions that was able to remain open (virtually), charge admission and bring in revenue during the pandemic.

The app was an accessible tour platform while [we] were closed during the quarantine, and a way to remain relevant to our members and friends.

— Christina Lake, Director of Education and Museum Curator for Preserve Louisiana

The Solution

When COVID-19 struck, Christina Lake, Director of Education and Museum Curator for Preserve Louisiana, quickly enhanced the Old Governor's Mansion app with features enabling full museum experiences from home. This digital pivot included a strategic plan to introduce digital admission fees.

"We wanted to make the app relevant for when we reopened to the public and for continued access at home and in the classroom," said Lake. "We are expanding the app to include archived recordings of our heritage lecture series, as well."

The app's evolution centered on creating meaningful engagement through a carefully designed suite of interactive elements:

• Challenging Knowledge Quizzes
• Achievement-Based Badge System
• Secure Access Code Keypad
• Comprehensive Site Information
• Immersive Multimedia Content
• Detailed Interactive Mapping

These technical components support a deeper connection with the museum's collections and stories, particularly for remote educational use. The focus on virtual tours and learning experiences has made the platform especially valuable for students, providing enriching educational opportunities regardless of location.

"In March 2020, I expanded the app to include badges, quizzes, and current exhibits," said Lake. These enhancements transformed the digital experience into something far more interactive for younger users, addressing the needs of parents and teachers navigating the sudden transition to virtual education.

Lake noted enthusiastic reception of the gamification elements: "The badges have been a fun addition that we have used as a 'check-in' option and a way to generate a 'completion grade' for classroom use. I am looking forward to new, more interactive additions!"

The platform now serves multiple educational functions simultaneously, operating as an interpretation tool with audio guides and tours, a self-directed exploration platform, a virtual touring experience, and a gamified learning environment complete with achievement tracking. Its availability both online and offline ensures accessibility for all users, regardless of internet connectivity.

The Result

While Preserve Louisiana developed their app well before the pandemic began in an effort to engage visitors with Louisiana’s history in new and exciting ways, it has proven to be a staple to their business model during difficult times.

“The app was an accessible tour platform while [we] were closed during the quarantine, and a way to remain relevant to our members and friends.” said Lake. “It has continued to be a positive enhancement, as we have not invited our docents to return at this time (Louisiana just entered Phase 3 and we have had low visitation). The app allows visitors to still tour the Mansion, but with enhanced features.”

STQRY’s app allowed the Preserve Louisiana team to interact with their visitor base while keeping their docents safe during the pandemic, as many of them are part of the high-risk population.

When the Old Governor’s Mansion fully reopens, they will be holding off on docent tours and using the app as the sole method of guided tours in order to reduce potential contact and maintain social distancing.

By using the app’s features in creative and innovative ways, Preserve Louisiana’s STQRY app allowed the Old Governor’s Mansion to be one of the few art institutions to charge digital admission and bring in revenue during lockdown.

With the app, Preserve Louisiana was able to successfully keep the past part of the present during historically challenging times.

Create Your Own Tour App Today

STQRY makes mobile tour development accessible to everyone. The platform requires no coding experience, features an intuitive learning curve, and provides hands-on support throughout the creation process.

Ready to build your own tour app? Check out STQRY today and try the STQRY Builder for free to start preserving and sharing your organization’s unique stories.