Kentucky Black Trailblazers AR Experience Launches

The Kentucky Black Trailblazers AR experience has just launched, making this new augmented reality experience the first of its kind in Kentucky!

The stories of Kentucky’s Black Trailblazers come to life through a fully immersive (and FREE!) experience that will inspire and educate travelers and locals alike with a rich tapestry of stories. This collaborative project uses cutting-edge augmented reality to tell stories from Black Kentuckians who may not have had their stories told.

Available to be explored now, the Kentucky Black Trailblazers is a transformative, first-of-its-kind experience that celebrates the influential Black figures who shaped the history of the commonwealth and beyond.

Two years of work went into creating the Kentucky Black Trailblazers experience, which includes 19 stops where users will hear and see, via Augmented Reality (AR), the stories of Muhammad Ali, Ky.-Derby-winning Jockey Oliver Lewis, Civil Rights Leader Whitney M. Young, Jr. and more.

The experience locations, which are listed on KyBlackTrailblazers.com, include signage containing QR codes. Users will scan a QR code with their device to launch the experience; there is no cost associated with participating in the Kentucky Black Trailblazers. 

Six tourism agencies partnered on the project – ShelbyKY, Louisville, Oldham County, Bardstown, Elizabethtown, and Shepherdsville-Bullitt County – and received federal ARPA grant funds distributed by the Kentucky Department of Tourism to assist with project funding.

ShelbyKY Tourism President & CEO Janette Marson developed the project, “We are thrilled to introduce the Kentucky Black Trailblazers Experience, an initiative aimed at honoring and preserving the extraordinary contributions and stories of our local heroes. Through the integration of Augmented Reality technology, visitors are offered the unique opportunity to travel back in time and encounter the personal histories of these remarkable individuals who left an indelible mark on our cultural heritage.”

The AR experience used in the Kentucky Black Trailblazers was created by innovation studio Tactic. Building on the creative direction and historical guidance of the tourism agencies, Tactic worked with production partners to digitize the reenactments in three dimensions, allowing the historical figures to speak to users through QR code-enabled signage.

“This is a truly exciting and culturally meaningful use of AR, allowing users to see history ‘come to life’ in a way that hasn’t been done at this scale,” says Tactic President Peter Oberdorfer. “The potential of this medium to tell stories is boundless. But, in particular, this mix of augmented and mixed reality with live action holographic video is a compelling example of the power of creative technology to invite new audiences to explore this important history.”

Ready to visit the Bluegrass State? Check out our section on All Things Kentucky, including these 5 Memorable & Unique Summer Accommodation Spots in Kentucky!