One landmark. A thousand stories to discover.
From its beginnings as shipyard project No. 534 in Scotland to its legendary transatlantic crossings, wartime service, and eventual arrival in Long Beach, the Queen Mary has lived many lives. Today, the iconic ocean liner serves as a hotel, historic attraction, entertainment venue, and beloved local landmark, welcoming visitors with vastly different interests. Some come for the grandeur of its Art Deco design, others for its engineering and maritime history, and still others for its famous ghost stories.
The “Hi”Places demonstration brings these layers together into a growing Digital Endowment, illustrating how a trusted, accessible knowledge base can connect the ship’s remarkable past with its present-day experiences.
Through a location-aware conversational experience, visitors could discover stories relevant to exactly where they are aboard the ship, exploring everything from the engine room to the grand salons at their own pace. Rather than relying solely on scheduled tours and available guides, this approach offers the potential to provide personalized interpretation to more guests, in more languages, without proportionally increasing staffing. Hotel guests, tourists, and local event attendees could each explore the ship through the subjects that interest them most.
Meanwhile, the “Hi”Intelligence Dashboard could reveal which stories generate the most curiosity, helping inform future programming, guest experiences, and revenue opportunities. It’s a model for making an extraordinary landmark more accessible, engaging, and valuable without losing the character that makes it special.
