The Star Spangled Banner

Potion's interactive at the National Museum of American History enables over a million visitors each year to touch the Star Spangled Banner, the flag that flew over Ft. McHenry in the War of 1812.

At over 40 feet wide, the flag is monumental in scale, but so fragile that it is thinner than tissue paper and must be protected from visitors. To allow visitors a closer look, Potion created an interactive “swatch” of the flag at 1:1 scale for visitors to touch and explore, seeing the flag’s details down to its individual threads. Over 100 hotspots on the flag reveal notes, historic stories, and restoration facts from the flag’s legendary history. This monumental display allows many visitors to view and interact with the flag at the same time. The interactive flag is a social experience where visitors can either deeply engage with a priceless historic artifact, or step back and experience the flag’s rich colors, expansive scale and delicate workmanship.

Potion and exhibit designers C&G Partners created a unique space where family and friends can have an intimate experience with a national treasure.