The Broadway Neighborhood
In the mid-20th century, Santa Monica’s Broadway neighborhood was a thriving, tight-knit community. Built by African American, Mexican American, and immigrant communities, the Broadway neighborhood was a haven for those who were excluded from other parts of the city by racist and anti-immigrant policies and practices. Torn apart by construction of the 10 Santa Monica freeway, you may now explore a portion of this vibrant community.
In partnership with SNAP we’ve developed an augmented-reality tour showcasing the Broadway neighborhood. Rooted in our celebrated exhibition Broadway to Freeway: Life and Times of a Vibrant Community, our tour Augmented reality (AR) tour lets visitors experience the seamless merging of digital information with the physical world, offering an immersive experience.
Unlike virtual reality, which immerses users in a completely artificial environment, AR enhances our surroundings by overlaying contextual information, making it an invaluable tool for bringing history to vivid life.
Using your mobile device’s camera, effortlessly access information about specific sites, such as buildings and streets. AR technology will then project historical data that pertains to the given location, seamlessly blending the past with the present.
In the Broadway neighborhood context, this translates to an engaging journey through history as you traverse the stretch of Broadway between 20th and 17th streets in Santa Monica. To embark on this exciting experience, download the SNAP app, use your device’s camera to scan the provided QR code, and set out on your exploration of Broadway; we’ll be with you all the way.
