New Outdoor Interpretive Signage
In Rossland’s mining heyday, everyone would have known what all the equipment is on the Rossland Museum’s upper level, but today, things need some explanation. To address this, the Rossland Museum & Discovery Centre is excited to announce that we have completed the installation of brand new outdoor signage to interpret, explain and assist in way-finding through the museum’s outdoor exhibition area.
In addition to the new signage, we have also created a map and property tour to assist visitors to in way-finding and to enhance their overall experience. The map suggests a route for visitors around the upper level exhibits, directing them to each interpretive sign.
Each sign includes key historical content and facts, historical photos, and a QR code (and web address for those without a scanner) to direct the visitor to a page on each display where we can continue to add more content, photos, and any other audio/visual content that we develop. There is so much interesting information and captivating stories about all the artifacts and exhibits on the museum property that we couldn’t fit it all on the signs! Our solution was to include QR codes on most of the signs so visitors can access more information if they want to learn more. With a simple click of a camera (for iPhone users) or by downloading a QR code scanner for other devices, visitors are able to access a wealth of additional content to learn more. For guests who are not able to access the outdoor upper bench exhibits at the museum because of mobility challenges, or for visitors who want to explore the exhibits further from the comfort of their home, all the content available through the QR codes is accessible on the Rossland Museum’s “Additional Content” page.
The QR codes also provide a space for us to include relevant archival materials such as photos, and articles from the Rossland Miner newspapers. The webpages that the QR codes direct visitors to can also be updated much more easily than the signs themselves. This means that should new information on an artifact be uncovered, or excting relevant archival materials, or new experiential technologies such as VR, the webpages can be updated quickly to stay current and representative. We are excited about the flexibility and accessibility that the QR codes provide.
We were able to design a cohesive set of signs that are bright and engaging with a design layout that we will be able to carry through to future projects. In addition, we are expanding the use of QR codes to other projects and able to get more content online for increased public reach and access. These outdoor signs will enhance the visitor experience of the Rossland Museum. Previously there were no outdoor interpretive panels which led to a lack of engagement with outdoor museum exhibits. For visitors to the museum outside of regular tour times, these outdoor panels now provide useful information and provide an essential point of connection between the visitor and the artifacts. This signage will have a great impact on the overall experience of visitors to the Rossland Museum & Discovery Centre. The interpretive panels provide useful information in an area of the museum with no permanent staff presence, and further enhances the interactive component of the upper level exhibits.
We are thrilled to be able to provide this improved experience for our museum visitors and we are grateful to our partners who supported this project: BC Arts Council, Columbia Kootenay Arts Council, and Teck Trail Operations. All the signs were printed by Interior Signs in Trail, and the sign stands were fabricated by Columbia Steel Ltd.
