The Big Idea

A history based, trackless dark ride attraction that is immersive, interactive, and transformative, allowing guests to choose their own story for a personalised journey through the American past and into their own future.

The Backstory

Welcome to the Museum of Uncurious Curiosities! Professor Bryan Borington has invited YOU to the grand opening of his new exhibition entitled “A Journey Through Time: Timepieces of American History”, and he will be treating you to a two hour lecture on the subject — I bet you can’t wait…

However, just as the lecture begins, the professor’s assistant meddles with one of the exhibits — an old pocket watch that used to belong to Founding Father and famous innovator, Benjamin Franklin.

Immediately, the professor, his assistant, and all of his guests are transported back in time to the late 1700s and the birth of the American nation. Together, you all must go on A Journey Through Time and find your way back to the present by travelling through the different time periods and encountering the stories of America’s past along the way.

Choose Your Story

This attraction isn’t just any old dark ride with one unchanging narrative though. In this historical experience, guests will be able to choose their own story and hear the stories of the past that most interest them. Whilst in the pre-show room, guests are invited to answer “research questions” on tablets and their answers directly influence the narrative of their time travelling adventure. This includes selecting a historical theme that they would most like to learn about such as politics, protest and revolution, race relations, war and peace, American identity, society, women, economy, etc. The short projections throughout the ride are unique to each ride vehicle and narrates the history of each period according to the guest’s chosen theme. This makes A Journey Through Time a personalised adventure with significant potential for historical education and rerideabililty.

A Transformative Experience

A Journey Through Time is also designed to be a transformative experience. After their journey through the past, Professor Borington takes guests into the future and to his “Exhibition of Possibility” which makes up the exit of the attraction. Here, guests can scan their VIP Passes to discover their future, which is revealed to them in the museum’s glass display cases that are equipped with changeable glass. Once again, this draws on the guests’ answers to the earlier research questions. Visitors who dream of becoming president will catch a glimpse of their own inauguration when they scan their pass; eager activists could discover that they will make a key contribution in the future fight against climate change.

The point of this section is to ensure guests leave the attraction feeling inspired to follow in the footsteps of the many individuals they encountered on their adventure and make history themselves, as we all have the power to do this. After learning from the past, they are motivated to utilise their present to influence the future, and so leave the adventure with a sense of renewed determination to go out into the world and change it.

Farrell-A-Journey-Through-Time-Project-Development.pdf

Tom Farrell
Sophie McClarron