QR Codes in Parks, Recreation and Museums
How great would it be if you didn’t have to go out and buy a trail map every time you went on a hike? What if all you had to do was simply scan a QR code and up comes interactive maps, places to see, videos about the park or trail you may be on and much more!? Well, thanks to some state governments, these QR codes have begun to be created for hikers, campers, hunters and so on to utilize. Simply scan the QR code, and you can have all these great tools at your fingertips. So that means less chance of getting lost as long as you have internet service at the location your are in, more things to see and do all at the click of a button. Now that sounds too good to be true! But, it’s not and that’s the best part!
So what else are they doing in the Parks and Recreation field with QR codes? Well, we already discussed one place they are being used in, Central Park, so let’s see where else they are being used! In Fort Smith National Historic Park, they are displaying QR codes to link to a three minute interactive video as a welcoming to the park. Many states are now receiving grants from the government to utilize this technology to draw in visitors and protect our state parks. How nice to see!
In some museums, QR codes are beginning to arise. Visitors at the Fort Wayne museum in Fort Wayne, Indiana, now have access to over thirty QR codes displayed next to many pieces of art. These QR codes allow for visitor to scan and download information about the painting, a biography of the artists, a gallery of other artwork by the artists and much more! This again, will increase traffic into these museums and preserve them so that we will continue to enjoy them for many years to come. There are also many artists that are actually making paintings of QR codes with funky designs and color schemes. I even saw a painting that was using near field communication where it was completely invisible until you scanned it and then viola! as you scanned it, the painting popped up on your phone. Now, I’m not sure how that is useful yet, BUT it’s pretty darn neat! Liquor stores are also using this technology on their bottles so that consumers can learn more about what they are drinking.