The Alnwick Garden

This Autumm, visitors to The Alnwick Garden can use augmented reality around the grounds to help Reg the Hedgehog to find ingredients for his Poisonous Potion on this Halloween-themed immersive trail.

The Support

Earlier this year, Sunderland Software City put out a call for an immersive experience at The Alnwick Garden, which MAADigital won, and this was showcased as part of the TechNExt festival. This ongoing collaboration has strengthened with the formation of this second augmented reality trail and has opened up the possibility for further immersive experiences throughout the garden in the future.

Fiona Mitcheson, Brand Manager at The Alnwick Garden, said:

"The aim of this AR Poisonous Potion Halloween trail was not just to entertain families this autumn but also to demonstrate the incredible potential of digital technology and how it can be creatively integrated into visitor attractions such as The Alnwick Garden. It’s really exciting to be able to offer something so unique and the combination of the stunning gardens, the magic of augmented reality, and good old-fashioned fun is sure to be a big hit with our young digital explorers this season."

Vicky Hunter, Account Manager at MAADigital said:  

"By using AR technology, we've transformed the magnificent Alnwick Garden into an immersive Halloween wonderland. Families will be able to interact with the sights and sounds of the garden in an entirely new way, making it an incredibly exciting, memorable, and educational experience. It is a great way for North East businesses and visitor attractions to collaborate and work together to create immersive experiences and we look forward to working with The Alnwick Garden in the future.”

Sunderland Software City also arranged for Year 6 students from the local St. Paul’s Catholic Primary School in Alnwick to come along to enjoy the immersive trail in The Alnwick Gardens. The children learnt about augmented reality and the different flora growing in the grounds whilst on their visit.

Rory Cook, the Deputy Headteacher from St. Paul’s that joined the students, said:

“Our trip to The Alnwick Garden for the augmented reality Halloween trail was a fantastic experience, the children loved blending technology with the beauty of being outdoors and exploring the garden. The kids had a great time discovering the garden's hidden surprises and finding the clues on the trail, with one of the class saying, 'It's like a real-life spooky treasure hunt!'"  

Read more about it in this blog post.