A successful digital layer spans tools and methods to meet visitors where they are in the most impactful medium. Sometimes that’s on a personal device, sometimes it’s on an anchored tablet, and sometimes it’s on a kiosk or other in-gallery device. At Guru, we’ve worked with all of these to create in-gallery experiences that not only wow but make the visitor part of the fun.

If you’re curious what’s possible out of the box, our features page walks through the tools museums use most for visitor engagement and operations. Or check out some of our other articles on these subjects:

YOUR Visitor Experience. YOUR Way.  

The Visitor Experience Advantage: Fully Branded Apps vs. Shared Platforms 

Catch up on Guru’s Key Takeaways 

Active Visitors are Engaged Visitors

A study by the Association of Science-Technology Centers found that visitors who interacted with exhibits retained more information than those who only observed. Engaging with learning techniques is not only fun but effective. In fact, there are many benefits to including your visitors in their own experiences:

• Increased Stay Times:

  Engaged visitors, especially children, tend to linger longer in exhibits when they can interact, leading to more time spent learning. 

• Improved Understanding:

  Hands-on experiences help visitors "grasp things by grasping things," providing a tangible way to understand complex ideas. 

• Stronger Connections:

  Visitors feel more connected to the displays when they can personally interact with them.

So, How Can Guru Help You Connect with Visitors? Here’s some interactives we’ve created for others:

User-Generated Stories

A user-generated storytelling platform allows visitors to submit a personal audio/video recording and/or image, which they can then edit prior to submission. After submission, visitors’ stories are published by museum staff. Stories can be displayed via kiosk, tablet, or web page for other visitors to explore and enjoy. Stories can be curated and themed to correlate with an exhibition, artwork, artifact, or object. Visitors can access stories via interactive map, categories, or whatever you dream up!

At SFMOMA, Guru helped create an in-gallery digital engagement solution designed to enhance personal connection and provide an outlet for community expression related to the Ruth Asawa Exhibition.

Drawing Feature

For use on in-gallery tablets, Guru created a user-friendly drawing tool that deepens visitor engagement via play. Utilizing the unique style of artists throughout history, this tool allows visitors to create and share their own digital artwork inspired by the greats.

Timeline Game

Reminiscent of a weekly newspaper puzzle, visitors and fans of your institution can test their knowledge of its history. Presented with a clue, visitors must identify where in the timeline an event in a museum’s history took place. This experience can be used in gallery via tablets and via smartphone at home.

If you were lucky enough to be at LA Fleet Week recently, you probably noticed something pretty awesome – the lines for those highly sought-after ship tours were… well, they weren't really lines at all! Guru Experience had the privilege of creating a new Virtual Queuing system in partnership with Battleship IOWA and LA Fleet Week, recently making its debut at the huge annual event. 

Remember the days of endless queues, shuffling your feet under the sun, and wondering if you'd ever actually get to see those amazing vessels? They are over! LA Fleet Week is all about celebrating our nation's service members and enjoying a fantastic community event, not spending half your day in a snaking queue.

As the Daily Breeze reported, "Day 1 of LA Fleet Week welcomes hundreds to celebrate the nation's service members," and a big part of that seamless welcome was thanks to this innovative system.

These are exactly the kinds of challenges our museum solutions are designed to solve - bridging visitor experience goals with practical, manageable technology.

The Problem: Long Lines & Missed Opportunities

• Prior to virtual queues, large events like LA Fleet Week often faced a common challenge: managing huge crowds and long wait times for popular attractions. This not only created frustration for attendees but also meant they spent valuable time waiting in line instead of enjoying other parts of the event – grabbing a bite, exploring exhibits, or soaking in the atmosphere.

The Solution: Guru Experience's Digital Queuing System

• Enter Guru Experience with an easy, user-friendly solution! Our new Virtual Queuing system is designed to eliminate physical lines and give attendees back their time and freedom.

The user is outside of geo-fence

Reserve for your whole party

How It Works: A Simple & Seamless Process

So, how did this magic happen at LA Fleet Week? It's surprisingly simple and incredibly efficient:

1. Reserve a Spot Digitally: Instead of joining a physical line, visitors simply reserved their whole party’s spot in the digital queue, often via their smartphones. This could be done through a dedicated event app, a web-based portal, or even at on-site kiosks. For this particular event, geo-fencing ensured visitors were within 4 miles of the event site in order to book a place in the queue. 

2. Receive a Barcode: Once a spot was reserved, the system generated a unique digital barcode for the visitor. This barcode was their "ticket" to their place in the virtual line.

3. Explore Freely! This is where the real fun begins! With their spot secured digitally, attendees were free to roam the entire LA Fleet Week event. They could visit food vendors, check out other displays, relax, or simply enjoy the festive atmosphere without the stress of missing their turn.

4. Assigned Return Time: The system intelligently managed the flow of visitors. Visitors were assigned a return time and could check their screen to monitor how close they were getting. Once their boarding time was ready, they would see the barcode color change to green alerting them that it was time to head back.

5. Scan and Enter: Upon arrival at the designated entry point, visitors simply presented their digital barcode to be scanned by staff. Once scanned, they were welcomed in, ready to enjoy their experience without having waited in a long physical line.

The Impact: A Win-Win for Everyone

This isn't just about convenience; it's about making events more accessible and enjoyable for everyone. At Guru Experience, we understand that the true "experience" at a large-scale event like LA Fleet Week, a special museum exhibition, or free admission days shouldn't be about waiting, but about engaging, learning, and celebrating. Not to mention optimizing operational flow for the event organizers.

If you have a queue in need of an upgrade, let us know! We are happy to chat.

We had so much fun meeting with everyone at AAM and sharing our augmented reality, app platform, and CMS with you! But if you didn’t make it, no worries. Here’s a recap:

AAM goers experience augmented reality at our booth.

New features, new user interface, and a live CMS on view for attendees.

For Guru, the most exciting part wasn’t a single “new” technology. It was how museum leaders are connecting values, visitor needs, and digital strategy into experiences that feel human, credible, and truly worth the visit.

Here are the trends we heard repeatedly—and the ideas we’re bringing forward into the work we do with museum partners.

1. “Mobile-first” is increasingly “mission-first”

   AAM conversations around digital strategy kept circling back to a simple reality: the visitor journey is already mobile—even when the museum experience isn’t.

   We heard lots of momentum around:

   • Mobile-first wayfinding and planning

   • Multilingual access

   • Experiences designed for short attention windows and deep-dive exploration

   • Digital tools that support staff goals (not add new burdens) 

   Co-creation and consultation aren’t “nice to haves”—they’re increasingly the baseline for credible storytelling, especially for lived experience and community history.

2. Maps are becoming interpretive experiences, not just directions.

   Wayfinding is evolving. More museums are treating maps as:

   • A narrative device (“choose your own path”)

   • A curiosity engine (“what’s nearby that matches what I love?”)

   • A tool for confidence and belonging (“I know where I am; I feel welcome here.”)

   Maps can be functional and interpretive. When they’re designed with intention, they don’t just help visitors get from A to B—they help them feel oriented, invited, and more connected to the stories unfolding around them.

3. Layered storytelling is winning: QR + AR + virtual + on-site, working together

   A big takeaway from AAM 2025 is that museums aren’t choosing one format anymore. They’re stacking formats to meet visitors where they are:

   • Virtual tours and online experiences that spark interest before a visit (or serve remote audiences) 

   • AR moments that add wonder without replacing the artifact 

   • “Small but meaningful” digital layers like QR codes that open deeper context on demand 

   This isn’t about flashy tech. It’s about giving visitors choices—and letting them control depth, pace, and format.

If your museum is thinking about what’s next—refreshing a visitor app, launching wayfinding, adding multilingual tours, experimenting with AR, or exploring safe AI interpretation—these AAM themes offer a strong roadmap.

Our Proprietary CMS and Custom User-Generated Content make sharing your story and your visitors’ stories impactful and easy.

Interested in how these work? Try an AR experience below:

¹

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If you’re curious what’s possible out of the box, our features page walks through the tools museums use most for visitor engagement and operations. Or check out some of our other articles on these subjects:

YOUR Visitor Experience. YOUR Way.  

In-Gallery with Guru 

Our New Mapping System Will Blow You Away 

What Guru can do for you? Get in Touch.

If you’re exploring digital tools for your museum—whether you’re launching your first visitor app, upgrading an existing one, or dreaming up something completely new—there’s one question that matters most:

Does this solution let your institution show up as itself?

At Guru Experience, our approach is simple: we build your app, not a shared container. We partner with museums to bring stories to life through flexible digital tools, creative content, and hands-on collaboration—so your visitors get an experience that feels intentional, branded, and truly yours.

Your Branding. Your App.

Many museum platforms place your content inside a “parent app,” where visitors have to scroll through a directory of institutions just to find you. Guru takes a different route: fully white-labeled, standalone apps that reflect your identity, values, and storytelling goals. 

That means:

• No generic shared app container

• No competing institutions inside the same app

• A visitor experience designed around your audiences, your voice, and your spaces 

Because your museum isn’t a listing. It’s a destination.

Full Features.

Museum teams shouldn’t have to choose when it comes to the basics. Guru includes a robust suite of tools from the start—no paywalls, no gatekeeping—so you can design the experience your visitors actually want. 

From day one, you have the building blocks to deliver experiences like:

• Audio and multimedia tours

• Floor maps and wayfinding

• Interactive content and games

• Exhibitions and Collections

• Custom branding and app store discoverability 

Whether your strategy is “start simple” or “go big,” you’re not boxed in on our platform.

A Dedicated Service Team, Not a Ticket Queue

The best museum tech partnerships don’t end at launch.

Guru isn’t “set it and forget it” software—we act as a dedicated app team for the life of the partnership, with real people who know your institution, your goals, and your app. 

What that looks like in practice:

• Hands-on collaboration (not automated support loops)

• Ongoing support and growth over time

• A team with deep museum experience, committed well beyond launch

Storytelling Tools and Creative Services to Bring Content to Life

Great visitor experiences aren’t just built with features—they’re built with story.

Guru supports museums with storytelling tools and creative services designed to turn expertise into engaging, visitor-ready content across multiple formats. 

Some of the ways we help:

• Script writing & interviewing: stakeholder interviews, narrative crafting, tone matching

• Audio production: professional voiceover, soundscapes, music, post-production

• Augmented reality: storyboards, 2D/3D assets, interactive overlays

• Interactive content: scavenger hunts, quizzes, gamified experiences

• Language translation: human-reviewed translations powered by AI or professional translations

• User storytelling tools: community-led prompts and mobile capture for oral histories 

So your content isn’t just “in the app”—it’s experienced.

Your Story. No Limits.

Museums shouldn’t be charged for telling more of their story.

With Guru, you’re never penalized for growth. Add tours, expand interpretation, build new experiences, launch seasonal programming—without worrying about storage caps or upgrade tiers. 

Visitors can explore in the ways that suit them best:

• Guided tours for narrative-led journeys

• Search for curiosity-driven discovery

• Interactive maps for spatial exploration

• Collections and categories for deep dives 

The result is a platform that supports how museums actually work: evolving exhibitions, changing priorities, and living stories.

Ready to Build Something Powerful?

If you’re planning your next exhibition, considering a visitor app, adding audio or AR, or simply comparing options, Guru would love to hear what you’re working on. Let’s explore what’s possible—and build an experience that’s unmistakably yours.  

If you’re curious what’s possible out of the box, our features page walks through the tools museums use most for visitor engagement and operations. Or check out some of our other articles on these subjects:

YOUR Visitor Experience. YOUR Way.  

Catch up on Guru’s Key Takeaways 

Our New Mapping System Will Blow You Away 

Glow up alert! Guru’s user interface has a new look–and it’s not just beautiful on the outside (No Dorian Grays here). Featuring flexible and customizable carousel design and dynamic search and layout, your unique content can be displayed in any order, grouping, or theme you can dream up. That means a digital visitor experience that reflects and enhances your engagement goals seamlessly. No restrictions, no asterisks, no upgrades required. Just a streamlined and intentional way to reach every audience…Yas, Screen.

If you’re curious what’s possible out of the box, our features page walks through the tools museums use most for visitor engagement and operations. Or check out some of our other articles on these subjects:

Our New Mapping System Will Blow You Away 

Keeping Your CMS Needs Simple 

Want to Learn More?

Dynamic Home Screen: You choose what’s important and what visitors see first. Can easily be rearranged in real time.

Blue Dot Navigation: Visitors can toggle between floors, locations, and explore by gallery.

Flexible Tour Function allows visitors to explore in a linear fashion or as they choose.

Visitors never lose their spot while exploring. Audio stays available on every screen and picks up where they left off.

Questions? Let’s Chat.

It happens daily…visitors staring at a map, but still unsure how to get where they need to go. No more! Guru’s new blue-dot navigation allows visitors to follow a pathway and see themselves moving along that path in real time. They can also toggle between floors and buildings, explore by gallery or area, access content directly from the map, and more! The best part? It’s standard in our apps. No upgrades required.

These are exactly the kinds of challenges our museum solutions are designed to solve - bridging visitor experience goals with practical, manageable technology.

Questions About Our Maps?

Overly an illustrated map or draw spaces directly onto the GPS map.

Easily Toggle between floors or buildings.

Tap a gallery or area to see all content available in the space—then access that content directly from the map.

Tap a content dot to access item-specific audio, AR, video and more. Get to the next item using blue-dot navigation in real time.

Get in Touch, We are here to help!

If you’re curious what’s possible out of the box, our features page walks through the tools museums use most for visitor engagement and operations.

We get it. A.I. is HUGE right now and everyone is scrambling to make use of it. But should A.I. be used just for the sake of it? At Guru, we think A.I. should be utilized intentionally, thoughtfully, and in a way that integrates into your visitor experience seamlessly. That’s why we’ve harnessed A.I. in a proprietary system that utilizes your catalogue and your voice…no random internet answers here. Just a trove of information built from sources you choose and approve.

Still not sure what that means? Here’s what we’ve been cooking up:

Docent AI Visitors engage with their own guide throughout your institution, asking questions and expanding on whatever catches their attention. Rather than simply linking your visitors to an open A.I. source, we create a curated environment based on your collections, catalogs, and knowledge base, ensuring they only get the information you want them to.

DaVinci Code-Style Game Tours A gamified tour experience is great for entertaining visitors. A gamified tour that is different each time they come back, is even better. Visitors learn and adventure through your space while engaging with anagram puzzles, quiz questions, word search, crossword puzzles, and more. Each game unlocks the next clue leading to their next stop in the tour. We harness A.I. to build linear routes throughout your museum that change with each visit.

Check out some of our other articles on these subjects:

Catch up on Guru’s Key Takeaways 

Museums, Web3.0 & the Metaverse 

If you’re curious what’s possible out of the box, our features page walks through the tools museums use most for visitor engagement and operations.

Need a quick rundown of the latest news? Find it here:

Daily News for Curious Minds

Be the smartest person in the room by reading 1440! Dive into 1440, where 4 million Americans find their daily, fact-based news fix. We navigate through 100+ sources to deliver a comprehensive roundup from every corner of the internet – politics, global events, business, and culture, all in a quick, 5-minute newsletter. It's completely free and devoid of bias or political influence, ensuring you get the facts straight. Subscribe to 1440 today.

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Don’t miss out on an exciting opportunity to explore how AI is transforming the museum experience! On Wednesday, October 23rd at 12 PM EST/9 AM PST, join Suzie Dergham, CEO of Guru Experience and the Balboa Park Online Collaborative (BPOC) for an exclusive webinar as part of the Dreaming of AI series. Suzie will dive into the cutting-edge AI solutions Guru is developing to revolutionize how museums engage with visitors and collections.

In this session, we’ll explore:

• How AI can create personalized and meaningful connections between visitors and museum collections.

• Guru’s partnership with BPOC to develop Escape Balboa Park, a pilot project that offers a configurable, AI-driven interaction with museum exhibits.

• The role of AI in collections management and visitor experience enhancement, including ChatGPT-powered interpretation tools.

This is your chance to learn how Guru Experience is shaping the future of museums and see firsthand how AI can be used to drive deeper visitor engagement.

Date: Wednesday, October 23rd
Time: 12 PM EST / 9 AM PST
Registration: Dreaming of AI Oct. 23

Push the boundaries of cultural engagement and connect with like-minded museum professionals looking to integrate the latest in AI technology. We look forward to seeing you there!

Hey museum folks! We know you're passionate about creating unforgettable experiences for your visitors—bringing history, art, and culture to life in ways that resonate deeply. But when it comes to managing your content and digital experiences, there’s one thing you definitely don't need to be doing: building your own custom Content Management System (CMS).

Let’s be real. Building a custom CMS sounds like it would give you total control, but it’s more like opening Pandora’s box. It can easily turn into a time-sucking, budget-draining beast that takes your focus away from your real mission: curating incredible exhibits and telling the stories that matter.

That’s where Guru Experience comes in—and trust me, we’ve got you covered.

The Custom CMS Myth: Why It’s Not the Answer

Here’s the thing—building your own CMS seems appealing on the surface because it sounds like it’s tailored just for you. But let’s talk about what happens once you dive in:

• Development Costs Skyrocket: A custom-built CMS isn't cheap. You’ll need a team of developers, designers, and tech specialists who understand your vision. Then comes the never-ending list of changes and updates. Ouch.

• Time Drain on Your Staff: Building a CMS isn't a one-and-done deal. You’re looking at months (or even years) of development, not to mention constant tweaks and troubleshooting. Meanwhile, your team is left scrambling to keep up with the tech side instead of focusing on your exhibits and visitor engagement. Plus, scrambling to keep content updated in a new system on top of their normal duties. 

• Upkeep is a Nightmare: A custom CMS doesn’t just run itself. You’ll need ongoing support, bug fixes, and updates to keep it running smoothly. And who wants to deal with that? Why put the burden on staff when you can have a dedicated team whose job it is to monitor this stuff?

Enter Guru Experience: Your All-in-One Solution

Let’s flip the script. Instead of sinking your resources into a custom CMS, why not partner with a team that’s already done the hard work for you? Guru Experience offers a robust, flexible, out-of-the-box CMS that’s designed specifically for museums like yours—without the headaches of building from scratch.

Here’s why Guru is the ultimate win:

1. Cost-Effective

Developing a custom CMS can easily run into six figures, and that's just the beginning. With Guru, you get a powerful, feature-rich platform at a fraction of that cost. No need to hire a full development team or blow your budget on endless updates.

2. Ready to Go—Right Now

Why wait months or years to build something when Guru Experience’s platform is ready for you to use today? It’s user-friendly, flexible, and easy to integrate with your existing systems. Plus, the team at Guru knows the museum world inside and out, so we’ve already built tools that meet your unique needs. Working with museums over the last decade has helped us hone in on what you really need.

3. Time-Saving for Your Team

Instead of pulling your staff away from the work they love to deal with a custom CMS, Guru's platform lets them focus on what they do best—creating amazing exhibits and visitor experiences. Guru handles all the techy stuff, so your team can stay focused on the fun part of museum work.

4. Always Evolving (Without the Hassle)

Technology changes fast, but you don’t have to worry about that. Guru Experience continuously updates and improves our platform, so you’ll always have access to the latest features without lifting a finger. No more dealing with a clunky, outdated system!

5. Support You Can Count On

When you partner with Guru, you’re not just getting software—you’re getting a team that’s dedicated to your success. Whether it’s training, troubleshooting, or brainstorming new ways to enhance visitor engagement, Guru’s support team has your back.

The Bottom Line: Let’s Keep It Simple

Museums have enough to handle already without adding "build a custom CMS" to their to-do list. With Guru Experience, you get a cost-effective, time-saving platform that’s specifically designed to make your life easier. And the best part? You can focus on doing what you do best—delivering unforgettable museum experiences to your visitors—while Guru handles the tech.

So, stop stressing about tech development and start investing in what matters most: your exhibits, your team, and your audience.

Trust us, your future self (and your budget) will thank you.

If you're ready to say goodbye to the custom CMS headache and hello to a hassle-free, future-ready platform, reach out to Guru Experience today! You’ve got exhibits to create, and we’ve got the tools, know-how, and museum experience to make them shine.

Curious about what a Guru-Powered CMS could do for you? We’re here to help! Contact us at Solutions@guruexperience.co or visit our Website.

If you want to know what’s possible out of the box, our features page walks through the tools museums use most for visitor engagement and operations. Or check out some of our other articles on these subjects:

Catch up on Guru’s Key Takeaways 

Own Your Visitor Experience: Museum Digital Solutions Built Around Your Story 

In a world driven by digital experiences, museums are no longer confined to physical walls.

Museums have expanded their reach and potential, using digital content as a powerful tool to attract new audiences and engage the next generation of visitors. In this blog, we'll explore how museums can harness the digital revolution to expand their horizons and captivate diverse audiences.

1. Embrace the Virtual Space

The digital age has given rise to virtual museums and online exhibitions. Museums can create immersive digital experiences that transcend geographical boundaries. Whether it's a virtual tour of your museum or an online exhibition, embracing the virtual space allows you to attract global audiences who might never have the chance to visit in person.

Social media platforms are a treasure trove for museums seeking to engage new audiences. Regular and engaging posts on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter can pique the interest of a younger, tech-savvy demographic. Plus, social platforms are great place to form human connections with your audience. Use these platforms to showcase behind-the-scenes content, highlight unique artifacts, and share intriguing stories from your collection.

3. Digital Storytelling

Digital content allows museums to tell stories in innovative ways. Create compelling narratives around your exhibits, weaving in historical context, personal anecdotes, and interactive elements. These stories not only educate but also emotionally resonate with your audience, making the content shareable and relatable.

4. Educational Apps and Games

Developing educational apps and games related to your museum's themes can be a game-changer. These apps engage younger audiences by combining entertainment with learning. Interactive quizzes, scavenger hunts, and AR experiences can turn a visit to your museum into an adventure. Play has always been a mechanism for learning and embracing gamification and app-based experiences makes that learning portable.

Check out these Additional Articles on Similar Topics

Catch up on Guru’s Key Takeaways 

Own Your Visitor Experience: Museum Digital Solutions Built Around Your Story 

YOUR Visitor Experience. YOUR Way.  

At Guru Experience, we're dedicated to enhancing visitor engagement through innovative digital solutions. Recently, we delved into a compelling discussion initiated by a Director of Marketing & Communications of an Art Museum on the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) open forum. They sought to understand the broader trends in museum tour attendance post-pandemic, prompting a rich exchange of insights among museum professionals. Here's a detailed look at the responses and trends uncovered from this survey.

Survey Questions and Insights

Their questions were designed to gather comprehensive data on the types of tours offered, accessibility, and marketing strategies. Here's a summary of the key questions and the responses received from the community.

1. Types of Tours Offered

Museums are providing a diverse array of tours to cater to various visitor needs:

• Guided Tours: Most museums offer guided tours primarily in English, with options for American Sign Language (ASL) or other languages upon request. Types of tours include general Highlights Tours, specialized Spotlight Tours, Family Tours, and inclusive programs like "Art for All" for visitors with dementia.

• Self-Guided Tours: These often utilize QR codes or physical signs in the museum, available in multiple languages.

• Group Tours: Customized group tours are common, particularly for schools and adult groups.

• Virtual Tours: Some institutions have expanded their offerings to include virtual Art Talks and other online experiences.

2. Tour Fees and Reservations

There is a mix of pricing and reservation policies:

• Included with Admission: Many museums include basic tours in the cost of general admission.

• Additional Fees: Specialized tours and programs may require an extra fee.

• Reservation Policies: While walk-in tours are available at many institutions, reservations are often required for group tours and special programs.

3. Frequency and Attendance

The frequency and attendance of tours vary significantly:

• Weekly Tours: Museums generally offer between one and nine tours per week.

• Average Attendance: Attendance ranges from as low as 0-5 participants for some tours to 20-25 participants for others. For instance, one of the Hall of Fame's guided tours averages 7-10 attendees per tour.

4. Demographic Differences

Several museums noted differences in the demographics of guided versus audio tour users:

• Younger Demographic: Audio tours, often accessed via apps, tend to attract younger visitors (18-65 years old).

• Broader Age Range: Guided tours see participation from a more diverse age group.

5. Marketing Efforts

Marketing strategies for tours vary:

• Basic Listings: Some museums rely on website listings and on-site promotions.

• Enhanced Marketing: Others actively promote tours through websites, social media, email campaigns, and paid media.

• Occasional Paid Boosts: Institutions like one of the Hall of Fames use social media, occasionally boosting posts to reach a wider audience.

Insights from Museum Professionals

Conclusion

The insights shared on the AAM open forum reveal that while some museums are experiencing a decline in tour attendance post-pandemic, others are seeing steady or increased participation. The variety of tour options and the effectiveness of marketing strategies play crucial roles in attracting visitors. As museums continue to adapt to changing visitor behaviors, sharing these strategies and insights will be essential in enhancing engagement and improving attendance.

✨ At Guru Experience, we are committed to supporting museums in these efforts by providing innovative digital solutions that make tours more engaging and accessible. Let's continue the conversation and work together to create unforgettable experiences for all museum visitors. ✨

Insights like these reinforce what we build our museum solutions around: accessibility, clarity, and visitor choice—delivered through technology that stays practical.

Check out some of our other articles on these subjects:

Catch up on Guru’s Key Takeaways 

Own Your Visitor Experience: Museum Digital Solutions Built Around Your Story 

Keeping Your CMS Needs Simple 

We’ve been hearing a lot of questions lately about multi-tenant “shared” museum apps—and what actually changes when a museum chooses a standalone, fully branded experience.

We understand the appeal: a free platform can feel like a quick win, especially when budgets are tight. But in practice, “free” often comes with trade-offs that show up where it matters most: your brand, your visitor journey, and your team’s capacity to keep the experience fresh.

At Guru, we built our platform for museums that want more than an audio tour. We built it for institutions that want to own their visitor experience—today, and as they grow.

The Core Distinction:

Many multi-tenant platforms operate like a directory: multiple museums live inside the same app under someone else’s brand. You may get a basic audio tour tool and some marketing support, but the experience isn’t truly yours—and your ability to evolve it is limited.

Guru takes the opposite approach. We deliver a fully custom-branded app for each museum, built on a feature-rich foundation that can adapt to your goals, your storytelling style, and your visitors’ needs.

And just as important: we don’t hand you an empty shell and wish you luck. We show up as your partner—your app team—so the experience stays active, relevant, and well cared for.

A museum app isn’t a one-and-done project. Exhibitions change. Programs shift. Visitor expectations evolve. With Guru, you’re not just getting software—you’re getting continued service to support your strategy and keep the experience moving forward. We collaborate with your team to create, load, update, and maintain content so your app stays aligned with what’s happening in your galleries. That means less “stale tour” risk, fewer “we meant to update that” moments, and far less pressure on your staff to suddenly become a digital production team.

Guru Brainstorming with the SAC team

Brand identity recognition: remove friction before visitors even start

Here’s a common barrier with shared apps: visitors have to download an app branded to an outside organization, then search within that app to find your museum among many others. That’s a lot of friction at the exact moment you want curiosity to turn into participation. With Guru, visitors download your museum’s app—branded with your colors, your voice, your identity. We also support QR code deep linking so a visitor can scan and land directly on the right tour, page, or object—no searching, no scrolling, no guesswork.

In the ever-evolving landscape of museum experiences, one element remains timeless and essential—audio tours. These auditory journeys have been captivating museum visitors for decades, and in today's digital age, they are more relevant and impactful than ever. Let’s delve into the importance of audio tours in museums and why you should use this classic tool to create unforgettable visitor experiences.

Audio tours remain a timeless and essential tool for creating immersive, personalized, and educational museum experiences.

At Guru Experience, we understand the power of storytelling and the importance of accessibility in modern museums. By offering in-depth information, engaging narratives, and inclusive options, audio tours not only enrich visitor experiences but also foster deeper connections with exhibits. Whether you're looking to enhance visitor engagement or create a more inclusive environment, incorporating audio tours is a proven way to leave a lasting impact. Let Guru help you transform your museum’s offerings with innovative audio tour solutions designed for the digital age.

Join Us in Welcoming Eric Rice: Chief Technical Officer

Eric Rice is a true technological mastermind and we couldn't be more excited to officially announce him as Guru Experience Co.'s CTO! Eric has been working with our team over the past months to increase technical efficiency, decrease app deployment time, and spearhead more innovations in augmented reality, wayfinding, and other interactives. 

We often share sources of information that inspire us from within the museum sector, but we also find tons of inspiration from how technologies are leveraged in other industries to help us think of "out of the box" experiences and solutions.

Take a look at what's going on in the wider world of Augmented Reality, Artificial Intelligence, and Audience Engagement:

• From Independent: "ChatGPT can now generate images and create illustrated books"

• From Apple: "Create Accessible Spatial Experiences"

• From AR Insider: "4 Ways Mobile AR is Making Waves Today"

• From TIME: "How AI Can Transform Travel - and How to Take Advantage of It"

A Way-finding Mobile Guide to Solve all your Visitors' Navigation Struggles

Nothing is more frustrating for visitors than not being able to find your collection's most iconic piece of art, or most famous artifact, or even the bathrooms! Paper maps aren't the most helpful, considering they can't show 'where you are' nor tell you how to get where you want to go. That's where Guru's way-finding mobile guides come in. 

• Great for indoor, outdoor, and multi-level locations

• Blue-dot geolocation follows where you are

• "Go Here" function navigates you to any point of interest

• Interactive maps show location of interpretive content

• List view shows what's nearby

Indoor Navigation at SCH

Making sure visitors can maximize their time at your cultural site is key to delivering an outstanding visitor experience. Besides way-finding, Guru offers engaging content production and delightful AR experiences to suit every visitor demographic coming through your doors!

See what you've missed on our blog:

Augmented Reality for Museums 101

Are Audiences Ready to Download Museum Apps?

Virtual Reality for Museums

The San Diego Museum of Art Mobile Guide

Technology evolves and alongside it, so does visitor expectations for their museum or cultural site visit. Good news - the Guru Experience Co. platform can keep up! Here are some highlights of our updated UI for a new and improved mobile guide experience:

• With less taps, visitors can find their desired content quicker than ever.

• With less clutter, visitors won't be overwhelmed by choices.

• With improved way-finding, visitors won't get lost, and can find exactly what they need and how to get there.

As the Guru Experience Co. team rethought and redesigned our templated UI for even better use-ability, we tapped into learnings from the muse-tech community at large. Here's some great pieces highlighting practices we like to keep in mind when we create experiences. Check the links below for valuable insights for your next digital project!

• From "Museumable" on Medium: What is Museum Experience Design?

• From MuseumNext: User Generated Content to Connect an International Audience

• From Gather Learning: 6 Ways to Measure ROI of Digital Engagement

• From Linkedin's AR Community: How can AR Support Learning and Training in Various Fields and Settings?

The Guru Experience Co. team had a great time at this year's AAM annual conference learning, sharing, and connecting with our peers.

What We Presented

Our SVP of Creative Production, Dana Duran, participated as a guest speaker on a panel to discuss the foundations of AR and its various applications for museums and cultural institutions, and had a big crowd eager to test out our methods and see interpretive AR in action!

Scroll down and scan the QR code for a peek of what you might have missed!

Take a look at some of our team's most memorable takeaways:

Guru board member, Nik Honeysett, from Balboa Park Online Collaborative, discussed the importance of journey mapping for every institution:

Ashleigh Richelle from the Oakland Museum of California discussed the importance of engaging users utilizing all types of digital storytelling included social media, in session #WethePeople Digital Storytelling.

Dexter Nelson III from History Colorado Center presented a different way of leveraging an app to explore state-wise history in his poster talk featuring Guru Experience Co.'s platform (see a photo of his great turnout above!)

The Guru Experience Co. team was also highlighted in Blooloop's conference roundup. Click here to read more! 

Scan the QR code above for a peek at Dana's AR panel 101 presentation. 

Have you snagged your tickets for the LARGEST museum event of the year?

#AAM2023 is right around the corner, and the Guru Experience Co. team couldn't be more excited to connect with peers, and share our knowledge on museum apps and AR in the cultural arena. 

This year our SVP of Production & Creative Content will be on a panel for all things immersive experiences on Saturday, May 20th. She will be highlighting the different types of AR experiences, and

Sharing some low-barrier, easy-entry ideas to dip your toes into this experiential tech in "AR 101".

Be sure to tune in and say "hi"!

Blooloop sites us as a must-see vendor this year! Check out their AAM 2023 Preview here.Also our newest team members Kealy Gordon will be in attendance to connect with clients, learn more about the space, and share the happenings of Guru Experience Co. with our peers.

Want to connect with our team at #AAM2023? Click below to get in touch with Dana or Kealy.

Step up to the mic, and share your stories of Hip Hop!

The Baltimore Museum of Art and the St. Louis Art Museum partnered again with our Guru Experience Co. team to repurpose our user-generated story platform for their latest temporary exhibition "The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century". This time, visitors can choose to create, share, and save in historical archives their experiences and stories around Hip Hop. 

Similar to a previous iteration, the "Roots & Routes" interactive, users record a story about a memorable moment they had with Hip Hop, and can even add photos along with dates and locations. The museum team then has a chance to review the stories for appropriateness, and, with a click of a button, publish them for other visitors to the exhibitions to explore. Unlike the old rendition of the interactive, the stories will live in an HBCU partner's digital archives for scholars and fans to explore in perpetuity.

Have ideas on how to create your own story-collection project? Or maybe you have a novel idea on how to leverage our CMS for something totally custom?