BEDFORD COUNTY – Visitors to Old Bedford Village are enjoying a new app along with their walking tours. As you walk through the village with your smart phone, the app lets you tap a photo of the building you’re visiting, and a narration pops up to tell you about the site and what would have happened inside.

The app makes self-guided tours interactive and more informative. Visitors get the historical context they want, on demand. This is especially helpful for Village sites that aren’t staffed with a volunteer. “We have over 30 buildings on site, and we don’t have an interpreter for all of them. This app fills the gap,” says Director Bonnie Miller.

The Community Foundation for the Alleghenies funded the project through two separate grants totaling $3,500. Old Bedford Village presented the app at its 40th Anniversary Celebration over the summer. Staff encourages visitors to download it when they arrive, and, so far, everyone likes it.

The app transports users from anywhere in the world to life on the American frontier during the 1700s. That means it’s not just for the Village’s 3,000 annual visitors. Students can use the app for research, and history enthusiasts can use it just for fun.

The app is called Old Bedford Village. It’s available on all mobile platforms and is free to download.