Google Arts & Culture and the National Park Service announce United Parks of America, a digital hub that brings historic heritage and natural wonders together under one online roof.
The hub invites users to explore more than 60 national parks, including popular and historic sites, through curated exhibitions, virtual tours, and extensive Street View imagery across iconic locations such as the Grand Canyon and Yosemite.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPLORE TODAY
The platform showcases more than 150 curated exhibitions, 30 virtual tours, and over 500 miles of Street View imagery. TechStaged has also covered Google expands AI flood forecasting with Groundsource and Flood Hub, extending global coverage to urban floods.
Highlights include virtual visits to natural wonders, 3D representations of artifacts, and narrations that walk users through park histories and landscapes.
- More than 150 curated exhibitions
- 30 virtual tours
- Over 500 miles of Street View imagery across multiple parks
AI STORYTELLING AT INDEPENDENCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK
A new AI storytelling experiment, Path to Independence, places visitors inside 18th-century Philadelphia to explore the Declaration of Independence with AI-narrated tours and panoramic imagery.
The experience uses Gemini to answer follow-up questions and provide tailored historical insights, enabling closer examination of artifacts and moments in American founding history.
- Path to Independence uses Gemini for interactive narration
- AI-narrated tours with panoramic imagery
- Visitors can inspect artifacts up close and ask questions to Gemini
IMMERSIVE ARTIFACTS AND TECHNOLOGY USED TO VISUALIZE HISTORY
Google and the National Park Service digitized fragile objects from Independence National Historical Park, including copies of the Declaration of Independence, portraits, and historic documents, and produced interactive 3D models that users can spin and zoom into.
The experience also references the Assembly Room and the Liberty Bell as parts of the virtual exploration, and notes the use of Nano Banana technology to help imagine 18th-century scenarios.
- Digitized artifacts: Declaration copies, portraits, documents
- Interactive 3D models of artifacts
- Nano Banana technology used to enhance historical visualization
TIMING AND ACCESS
As part of National Park Service’s anniversary and National Park Week, the initiative coincides with celebratory events and an entrance-fee-free day on August 25 for U.S. citizens and residents, encouraging broader access to these digital resources.
- National Park Service 110th birthday
- National Park Week celebration
- Entrance-free day on August 25
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SOURCES
- News from Google: Take an interactive journey through America’s national parks Published · Primary source
