Seoul museum turns history into living journey with AR glasses

Visitors to the Seoul Museum of History can now walk through centuries of the city’s past and watch forgotten scenes emerge around them through a new augmented reality (AR) experience.

The museum said Tuesday it is operating a pilot extended reality exhibition, “Time Travel in Seoul,” at its third-floor permanent exhibition hall, allowing visitors wearing AR glasses to encounter digital recreations of Seoul’s historical landmarks and everyday life.

The experience uses spatial computing technology to respond to visitors’ movements in real time, placing 3D content directly over the museum environment.

As visitors move through the exhibition, they can see a reconstructed 3D Donuimun Gate from the 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty era, a moving Gyeongseong streetcar from the opening period and the Korean Empire era, and a rickshaw passing through scenes from the Japanese colonial period.

The final section recreates modern Seoul with the 1988 Seoul Olympics’ symbolic “Boy with a Hoop” and the city’s guardian character, Haechi, welcoming visitors.

The project combines the Seoul Museum ...