What’s up? – Coming Full Circle with 360° Tours

Back in the thick of Covid, interpreters brought our parks to the quarantined masses through the 360° platform RoundMe. Unfortunately, RoundMe shut down in 2023 and all uploaded tours went kaput. But if your park still has those images on a shared drive, or a 360° camera resting in a file cabinet, you have options. Crystal Cove SP recently published a 360° tour through the platform ThingLink. The Northern Buttes District has been creating tours through a real estate platform called Kuula.

High-quality, interactive 360° tours provide a vivid, in-depth look at our park sites. Interpreters can add photos, videos, external links, item descriptions and more. These 360° tours are an accessibility tool, ensuring that those unable to visit in-person can still experience the beauty and significance of our parks remotely. The tours also provide an excellent resource for blended access field trip visits.

Unintentionally, this medium has also served as a critical tool in the aftermath of the arson at Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park. Investigators used the detailed 360° imagery to accurately assess the mansion’s layout, giving us a unique vantage in understanding the extent of the damage and the cause of the incident. This real-world application demonstrates the versatility of 360° tours for use in not only interpretation, but also law enforcement and collections.

Kuula’s pricing is currently $240/year, which allows for nearly unlimited tours and uploads. For more information and to view the Northern Buttes District’s collection of tours, visit our page. As far as 360° cameras, a popular option is the Insta360 x3, but others exist.

 —Alec Knapp, Senior Park Aide, Northern Buttes District