COLLINSVILLE, Ill. – Visitors to Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site are invited to discover ancient America with Cahokia Mounds’ new Augmented Reality (AR) Application. After five years of development, Cahokia Mounds has a new interpretive experience – an AR application that is available to Apple users at this time, with an Android version coming soon.

Users with an Apple device can simply download “Cahokia AR Tour” in the App Store. The cost is $4.99, which will be used to support Cahokia Mounds programs.    “Once the app is downloaded to your device, visit Cahokia Mounds and begin your tour at the Monks Mound parking lot where the first ‘Waypoint’ can be found,” said Cahokia Mounds site superintendent Lori Belknap. “These Waypoints are unique images mounted to concrete blocks and will launch the app once scanned.”

There are six Waypoints on the Monks Mound tour, as well as additional content about the culture and artifacts discovered and interpreted at Cahokia Mounds. Visitors with the app will see the Grand Plaza as it appeared 1,000 years ago, the Palisade as it once stood, and the exterior and interior of the large temple that stood on top of Monks Mound through the lens of their device.

“Visitors will be able to experience Cahokia Mounds as never before with cutting-edge technology,” Belknap added. “A limited number of iPads are available in the Interpretive Center for visitors to rent for $15.”

The Cahokia AR Tour application was developed and produced by the Cahokia Mounds Museum Society and Schwartz and Associates Creative of St. Louis with two grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities. For more information, call 618-344-9221 or 618-346-5160.

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12/1/2021