Using its 360-degree online imagery, Google Street View has gone “off the streets” along Boston’s Freedom Trail sites. The interactive virtual experience is created using backpacks with 15 camera lenses each pointing in different directions allowing the Google system to stitch them into a panorama. The online destinations in the North End and other Boston sites adds to the list of world-renowned places such as the canals of Venice, the peak of Mount Fuji and the trails of the Grand Canyon.
“Boston’s important and unique history makes it a great destination and we hope this imagery inspires people to visit these amazing places in person,” said Deanna Yick, Google Street View Program Manager. “Whether you’re a student learning about the world beyond your neighborhood or a tourist looking for a place to take your next trip, Street View enables anyone with an Internet connection to travel to the growing list of Boston landmarks Google Maps already has available online – including the USS Constitution, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston University, and more.”
“I thank Google for partnering with the City of Boston and creating an exciting tool that allows people around the world to experience the Freedom Trail and other historic landmarks in Boston.” said Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh. “We are hopeful that the new online experience will inspire some to make the trip here and experience our history and culture in person.”
Marked by a red line, Boston’s iconic 2.5 mile Freedom Trail connects 16 of the country’s most significant historical landmarks weaving its way through Boston’s proud past in a vital, modern city. Annually, over four million people walk the Trail and visit Freedom Trail sites such as Boston Common, the Granary Burying Ground, and Old North Church – to get a hands-on history of the American Revolution. Google’s new technology allows one to see parts of the Freedom Trail in 360 degrees that were never before available on Street View.
“Google’s new technology and new imagery showcasing Boston’s Freedom Trail sites and iconic parks will help introduce our city’s treasures to people across the globe,” said Freedom Trail Foundation Executive Director Suzanne Taylor. “A glimpse into the sites and the stories they tell will encourage visitors to explore Boston history on the Freedom Trail firsthand.”
Here are some links of the sites now available through the Google Street View in Boston: The Public Garden, Boston Common,Granary Burying Ground, Old North Church, and the Freedom Trail.
