How Michigan Heroes Museum Transformed Visitor Engagement with a Self-Guided Tour App
Sept 5, 2025
The Challenge
Michigan Heroes Museum, the only U.S. museum dedicated solely to veterans and astronauts from a single state, wanted to bring its mission to life in a more interactive way.
But like many small museums, it faced familiar constraints:
Limited engagement: Static signage and printed materials were only telling part of the story of the heroes featured in the museum
Minimal digital presence: The museum had no way to showcase exhibits beyond its walls
Lack of data: Programming was based on staff assumptions, not real visitor behavior
Why Driftscape
With no dedicated IT team and limited staff capacity, the museum needed a tool that was easy to implement, maintain, and scale.
Driftscape offered:
A mobile tour platform that transformed exhibits into interactive, self-guided museum tours
Real-time updates and push notifications for timely visitor communication
A map-based interface that encouraged exploration before, during, and after visits
A visitor analytics dashboard that delivered actionable insights
Hands-on onboarding and content setup support from Driftscape’s team
The Challenge
Michigan Heroes Museum, the only U.S. museum dedicated solely to veterans and astronauts from a single state, wanted to bring its mission to life in a more interactive way.
But like many small museums, it faced familiar constraints:
Limited engagement: Static signage and printed materials were only telling part of the story of the heroes featured in the museum
Minimal digital presence: The museum had no way to showcase exhibits beyond its walls
Lack of data: Programming was based on staff assumptions, not real visitor behavior
Why Driftscape
With no dedicated IT team and limited staff capacity, the museum needed a tool that was easy to implement, maintain, and scale.
Driftscape offered:
A mobile tour platform that transformed exhibits into interactive, self-guided museum tours
Real-time updates and push notifications for timely visitor communication
A map-based interface that encouraged exploration before, during, and after visits
A visitor analytics dashboard that delivered actionable insights
Hands-on onboarding and content setup support from Driftscape’s team
How Driftscape Helped
Interactive Map Integration
The museum embedded Driftscape’s map into its website, allowing guests to preview exhibits and plan their visit.
Self-Guided Digital Tours
Visitors accessed audio tours at their own pace, featuring:
First-person stories of Michigan’s service members
Multilingual support for accessibility and broader reach
Location-based activation near physical exhibits
Collaborative Onboarding & Content Setup
With guidance from Driftscape, the museum team launched quickly and confidently:
Content entry was streamlined to reduce staff workload
No technical expertise was required
Support included training, template guidance, and quality assurance
Visitor Analytics Dashboard
Driftscape’s dashboard gave the museum:
Insights on which exhibits received the most interest
Data on visitor flow and popular entry points
Location-based analytics to inform future programming and partnerships
The Results
In the first year:
Over 1,200 self-guided tours were completed
Visitors came from 180+ postal/zip code regions
The app recorded over 3,000 exhibit interactions, helping staff understand what resonated most
Though the museum hosts thousands of guests annually, these results show how digital storytelling extended reach, enriched experiences, and attracted new audiences beyond their typical visitor base.
How Driftscape helped the Michigan Heroes Museum
Interactive audio tours: Visitors could explore exhibits with guided narration that added context and emotion to the stories behind each artifact.
Self-guided discovery: Guests moved through the museum at their own pace, choosing the order and depth of their experience.
Offline access: Content was available without relying on strong wifi, keeping the tours seamless for every visitor.
Engagement beyond exhibits: Multimedia features such as images and audio clips created a richer, more memorable museum visit.
Visitor analytics: Staff gained real data on how guests engaged with exhibits, helping shape future programming and interpretation.
Simple staff workflow: Once the app was launched, the museum team managed updates and new content with minimal effort.
“Partnering with the Michigan Heroes Museum was inspiring. Their team wanted visitors to connect more deeply with the personal stories behind each artifact and we helped transform those exhibits into interactive audio tours that gave every guest a chance to explore at their own pace. Seeing thousands of interactions in the first months showed how powerful digital storytelling can be for a museum of this scale.”
–Tony, Driftscape
Key Takeaways
Interactive museum tours increase engagement and accessibility
Digital tools extend reach far beyond physical walls
Visitor analytics help inform future programming and exhibit updates
Place-based storytelling connects visitors to history in a more meaningful way
Onboarding support makes implementation easy for small teams
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