Leicester Castle Tells its Story: Beacon-based Mobile Interpretation for Historic Buildings

Abstract

This paper presents work-in-progress on the design and integration of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon-based mobile interpretation in historic buildings, and the ways in which it can impact the visitor experience. The session will discuss generic interpretation requirements as they emerged from visitor research, literature reviews, and consultation with stakeholders; map these requirements onto the beacon-based app developed by the Leicester Castle tells its story project; and present findings on the transformative potential of beacon-based interpretation on the ways visitors interact with historic buildings, engage with their stories, and learn.