Notre-Dame de Paris: The Augmented Exhibition

Imagine traveling through time to the Middle Ages, when builders and craftspeople laid the first stones of Notre-Dame de Paris. Or bearing witness to landmark moments in the Gothic cathedral’s history first-hand: from Emperor Napoleon I’s 1804 coronation, to construction of architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc’s iconic spire during the cathedral's nineteenth century restoration. Picture cheering on the Paris Fire Brigade as they battle the devastating 2019 blaze, and marveling at the awe-inspiring efforts and talents of the present-day workers reconstructing the architectural masterpiece.

Notre-Dame de Paris: The Augmented Exhibition is a groundbreaking virtual reality exhibit coming to The Historic New Orleans Collection (THNOC), after making its debut in Paris, France, followed by a run in Washington D.C. Featuring 360-degree augmented reality immersion, the interactive display will bring visitors deep inside the 850-year history of Notre-Dame Cathedral, from its early days of construction to its ongoing restoration in the aftermath of the April 2019 fire. Visitors will navigate Notre-Dame de Paris through the ages by using a HistoPad™, an augmented reality touch-screen tablet that will serve as their portal to key moments in Notre-Dame’s history and restoration. The free-to-use, intuitive HistoPad™ is designed for all ages and offers thirteen language options. A special bonus for children will be a self-guided virtual treasure hunt encouraging exploration of the cathedral’s history and identification of items embedded within the augmented reality screens.  

Visitors are enveloped in a multi-sensory experience—surrounded by audio of the cathedral’s organ and tolling bells, vinyl replicas of the cathedral’s flooring, a full-size replica of one of the structure’s famed chimera statues, and a projection of one of Notre-Dame’s iconic rose windows that survived the fire.

The HistoPad™ tour through Notre-Dame’s history will take place on the third floor of THNOC’s state-of-the-art exhibition center at 520 Royal Street. High-resolution images and projections depicting Notre-Dame’s architectural beauty and storied past will envelope the visitor in a multi-sensory experience—including audio of the cathedral’s organ and tolling bells, vinyl replicas of the cathedral’s flooring, a full-size replica of one of the structure’s famed chimera statues, and a projection of one of Notre-Dame’s iconic rose windows that survived the fire. 

Notre-Dame de Paris is a traveling exhibition conceived and produced by Histovery, a French technology firm, in collaboration with the Public Institution in Charge of the Conservation and Restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral, with the sponsorship of L’Oréal Group. The exhibition’s emphasis on the restoration of the cathedral aligns with THNOC’s ongoing work to restore and maintain Vieux Carré buildings and steward them for future generations. Presented in New Orleans with the support of the Consulate General of France. WWL-TV is the local media sponsor for the exhibit.

Admission for this unique, family-friendly exhibition is free. The exhibit runs from November 15, 2022, to March 1, 2023. For more information, visit www.hnoc.org.