The hybrid media guide of the Statue of Liberty

On Liberty Island in New York, millions of visitors a year use a hybrid media guide to discover the story of the Statue of Liberty. It is the Orpheo Hybe, which enriches the self-guided tour with stories about the history of immigration. Ellis Island also uses the Hybe. In this article you can read what makes this media guide so well suited to busy cultural venues.

Rugged and hygienic

At an open-air venue like Liberty Island, ruggedness comes first. The Orpheo Hybe has an IP64 rating and can withstand heat, cold and moisture. With every ferry, hundreds of visitors come ashore at once, and the devices have to cope with that day in, day out. A durable, weatherproof guide means less maintenance for the operator. The Hybe is also easy to clean, which matters for devices that pass through many hands.

The specifications

The Hybe has room for twelve languages and more than a hundred points of interest. Management takes place in the cloud with Orpheo EMM: remote updates, testing and anonymous statistics. The tour includes audio description for blind and partially sighted visitors, American Sign Language for deaf visitors and a special version for children. That makes it accessible to everyone. The same rugged design is also used at other busy venues, such as the Palace of Versailles.

How it works on Liberty Island

The audio tour is included in the ferry ticket. Visitors follow a route with narrated commentary on their own. At other venues, such as St John's Co-Cathedral in Malta, the Hybe shows how it handles large flows of visitors, with the emphasis on education and without waiting times.

In sync with film and documentary

On Ellis Island, the Hybe plays in sync with the documentaries shown there: visitors hear the sound in their own language, exactly in step with the picture. Read more about this technology in Audio guides in sync with video. Low operating costs and a long service life make the Hybe suitable for venues with big seasonal peaks.

Listen for yourself

Below you can hear two clips from the tours at the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty.

Conclusion

The hybrid media guide of the Statue of Liberty shows what the Orpheo Hybe can do: rugged, accessible and suitable for millions of visitors a year. What works on Liberty Island also works in your museum, castle or park.