The Verde Valley Archaeology Center and Museum unveiled three new interactive digital kiosks with an opening reception on Friday, Sept. 12.
A core component of VVAC’s fundraising initiative in 2024 was to introduce a new means of engaging visitors, launching a multi-year effort to place digital kiosks in each museum gallery.
While volunteer docents are always available to take visitors on tours, VVAC Executive Director Monica Buckle said she felt it essential to provide additional engagement options that expand upon the traditional museum experience while staying current with the times. Some visitors may prefer a self-guided tour, or may seek additional information after a guided tour.
“With these digital stations, visitors can dive deeper into the exhibit information, navigate gallery layouts with ease and interact with special content experiences that enhance their understanding of the displays,” Buckle said.
She said they want to make the museum accessible for any member of the public. The kiosks have subtitles for those who may have hearing impairments, and offer information in English, Spanish and German. Volunteers fluent in Spanish and German translated to ensure correct pronunciation and verbiage.
“For a museum in rural Arizona, this is just another surprise when a member of the public or one of our museum members walks into the museum — that we’re equipped to cater to anybody’s need as a cultural institution,” Buckle said.
The kiosks are currently in the Indigenous Cosmology and Astronomy Gallery, the Pottery of the Verde Valley Gallery and the Dyck Cliff Dwelling Domestic Living Gallery. The kiosk in the pottery gallery allows visitors to explore the entire process from sourcing clay to firing it, as well as the various pottery found throughout the region.
Ken Zoll, VVAC’s founder and director emeritus, programmed the software for the kiosks. He gave a brief presentation on the technology used and the advanced techniques he employed while programming the kiosks.
“It’s crucial for me as the executive director that VVAC is always on point,” Buckle said. “I often hear first time visitors on their way out of experiencing the museum that they’re in awe, that they can’t believe a museum like this exists here. That’s always such a compliment, and it’s a sense of pride for Camp Verde and the Verde Valley communities — that a state of the art museum does exist, and we’re here to welcome the public.”
VVAC is seeking sponsors for future kiosks that come with naming rights. A small plaque with the donor’s name will be on the kiosk or it can be donated in someone’s honor. Visit verdevalleyarchaeology.org for more information.
