At new USS Midway exhibit, state-of-the-art tech tells stories of unsung heroes (original) (raw)

SAN DIEGO — USS Midway Museum CEO, retired Rear Adm. Terry Kraft, was aboard the aircraft carrier in 1990 when explosions rocked the ship, igniting a devastating fire that claimed three lives and left more than a dozen injured.

“There were about 4,500 people on board, and I would estimate that 800 to 1,000 were in some way involved in having to fight this fire,” he said.

Kraft likes telling stories of the brave sailors-turned-firefighters and the steadfast Midway engineers who — despite keeping the ship operating before its decommissioning in 1992 — seldom receive the praise of pilots. But he’s even more excited for visitors to have a chance to learn about those men and women in a way the museum has never told stories before.

On Saturday, the USS Midway marked the opening of “Midway’s Engineers: Service, Sacrifice and Everyday Life,” two exhibitions focusing on the aircraft carrier’s engineers — how they turned seawater into steam to power the ship and how they fought fires.

The exhibits, designed in partnership with design and technology company Art Processors, use state-of-the-art gadgets to offer visitors a multi-sensory experience, straying from the tradition of simply displaying objects.

“Most things in the Midway are carefully restored to take people back into the moment of what it used to look like,” said Kraft. “But museums today are changing; they’re getting more interactive. They’re looking at how you tell stories and how you appeal to the emotional side of people who visit.”

Located on the Midway’s third deck, guests are treated to a choreography of audio, visuals, and tactile displays throughout the nine galleries that make up the new exhibits.

Take the berthing area, for example. As visitors walk down an aisle, one bed captures their attention. An empty letter lying on the bed sheet begins to fill with the words of a sailor describing life on the ship as his recorded narration simultaneously plays. The display brings memorabilia to life with the use of a projector, weaving sounds and visuals together.

“The thing about the Midway is we want people to touch and experience things,” said Kraft. “But this is totally different than what we normally do.”

Perhaps the most lively segment of the exhibits is the “Fire Experience” gallery. As visitors enter the space, they’re surrounded by an ensemble of lights, sounds and visuals that emulate a shipboard fire, producing a sensory overload meant to mimic the intense physical and emotional experiences sailors often face.

Not only are these exhibits incorporating a new way of telling stories, but they’re also the first additions to the museum since the Battle of Midway Theater opened in 2015.

Highlighting the carrier’s engineers was also the perfect debut for Memorial Day weekend and to help celebrate the museum’s 20th anniversary this year, said Paul Alvarado, a retired boiler technician who helped organize the exhibits.

“I think the main reason that this exhibit was created is because the engineers are always behind the scenes,” he said. “They’re down below decks most of the time that they don’t even get up to see sunlight, but they do the work necessary to keep the lights on. And we must remember them.”

The exhibits are now open to the public seven days a week during regular museum hours, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit midway.org.

Originally Published: May 25, 2024 at 9:04 PM PST