Walk through a digital twin of the Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Oklahoma

Established in 1938, the Will Rogers Memorial Museum is a standout landmark for the people of Oklahoma. The museum, which memorializes Will Rogers’ entire life, decided to expand its website to include a 3D experience of the space for distance learning and faraway guests. To do this, they reached out to 3D Scans Plus to capture an accurate, detailed, and immersive digital twin.

We interviewed John Neely, President of 3D Scans Plus, to uncover how Matterport is enabling communities in the state to provide digital access to their historical sites 24/7.

What inspired the 3D capture of this Will Rogers Memorial Museum? 

We specialize in large spaces — museums and historical spaces, in particular. Since I had grown up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, I was aware of the Will Rogers Memorial Museum just 30 minutes away in Claremore. In fact, I had visited the museum when I was much younger and was interested to see how it looked after their remodel. The museum is not large (approximately 15,000 square feet) but has most of the important things about Will Rogers, including the resting place for him, his wife, and two of his children. The museum sits near the Rogers University Campus, which is atop the highest point in the town.

What are the “must-sees” you want visitors to explore and why? 

There isn’t one must-see in the museum as it depicts his entire life from birth until his death with friend Wiley Post in Alaska. Due to its broad coverage, each display is a gem and depicts what a fascinating individual he was.

I want visitors to take away a sense of the museum and what it depicts. Will Rogers brought a sense of comfort, honesty, and comedy in a time when it was needed. Like many good people, his life was too short.

How are visitors accessing the digital twin?

The museum tour is in use on the museum’s website and offered to children in Oklahoma — and beyond — through distance learning. Our virtual experience was even featured on a Tulsa TV channel and I was interviewed by the station regarding the process. With the scan, visitors are able to tour this museum as if they were there or if they cannot go in person.

Do you have any plans to capture more 3D experiences with Matterport?

Oklahoma has many historical sites and museums including many Indian Nations Universities and hospitals, some of which are known nationwide. We have a heavy demand to create interactive experiences for at least ten more projects in the immediate future. Most of the upcoming tours are for spaces 20,000-300,000 square feet. You can see most of our tours on our website at 3dscansplus.com. 

Over the past three years, we have enjoyed learning about 3D and what is possible to assist people with their many varied spaces and projects. We plan to start using our drone in the near future. With Matterport 3D technology, we have become ambassadors for our state by digitizing and sharing the history of these spaces.