C.O. Polk Interactive Museum
Reimagining the local history museum as a digital hub for residents and tourists.
Download C.O. Polk Interactive Museum – Project PDF
Download C.O. Polk Interactive Museum, Customer Experience Diagrams

C.O. Polk Interactive Museum, exterior
Museum Planning, LLC was hired by the City of McDonough, Georgia to create a local history museum. We created digital experiences that excite both local residents and area tourists. Over the last three years, the Museum Planning LLC team worked with the City of McDonough, Georgia, and delivered a “turn-key” museum, fully complete and ready for the public.
Starting with a historic building of a unused post office with contained a WPA era mural by Jean Charlot, created a local hub to anchor a revitalized city square and serve as a tourist destination for families traveling along Route 75 a major Florida to New England thoroughfare.
The C.O. Polk Interactive Museum is cinematic, an interactive experience designed to put the visitor first and help them to make personal, emotional connections with the City of McDonough. Housed in a historic former post office, the exhibits take the visitors on a journey, from a holographic introduction by the Mayor to informative, interactive visual displays interspersed with state of the art videos.
Opening Date: July 20, 2019
Client: City of McDonough, Georgia
Services: Museum Master Planning, Interior Design, Exhibition Design, Owner’s Representation, Project Management, Website Design
Project Partners:
Architect, Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood
Video Production, Boston Productions
Exhibit Fabrication, Malone Fabrication
Project Budget:
Building Renovation $511,941
Exhibition Fabrication $590,000 ($327.77 per square ft) 1,800 square feet
Plus Soft Costs, Feasibility Study, Architecture, Exhibition Design, Events, Staff
Museum Social Media:
Twitter @copolkmuseum
facebook @copolkmuseum
Instagram @copolkmuseum
Pinterest @copolkmuseum
Linkedin
YouTube
Press:
Museum Launch Nearing in Downtown McDonough Henry County Times, December 12th 2018
New McDonough Museum Seeking Public’s Assistance Henry Herald, December 10th 2018
Construction Expenditures Approved for McDonough Museum Henry Herald, January 22nd 2018
Public Gets Preview of McDonough’s Future Interactive Museum Henry Herald, May 24th 2017
McDonough Aiming to ‘Bring History to Life’ With New Museum Henry Herald, January 31st 2017
Project Documentation:
Project Design Philosophy:
Starting with a unifying theory of “McDonough Heart”, the design team created an open floor plan that grouped exhibits to support the idea of “McDonough Heart”. Working with five objectives to support the unifying theme of “McDonough Heart”:
1. #MuseumMashup, the museum is an amalgam of a Local History Museum, Science Center, Natural History Museum, and Art Museum
2. A Museum “Without Walls” the visitor experience starts online with online games, database and 3D Scans and continues in-person and then again at home to drive repeat visitation
3. Event Driven, Wine Tasting, Mommy and Me Reading Time, Community Conference Area, and Maker Space Activities
4. 100% Digital all exhibit content available online and in-person
5. Easily changeable and updatable
Initial Design Renderings:

Museum Concept Rendering

Museum Concept Rendering

Museum Concept Rendering
Museum Website Design, including online games, and online access to Museum Collection Database https://copolkmuseum.org

C.O. Polk Interactive Museum website

C.O. Polk Interactive Museum logo

Museum Graphic Design, Museum Logo Design, Museum Corporate Identity

Drawing of Museum Exterior Monument Sign
Final Project Photographs

Entry with mural by Jean Charlot, 1941 “Cotton GIn”, with digital signage

Town Square interactive exhibit with projection mapping onto 3D printed scale model buildings.

Town Square Exhibit including projection mapping onto scale model 3D printed buildings and a “Mini Mayor” Hologram tour guide.

Detail of magnifier for scale model of Commodore MacDonough on USS Saratoga

Theater and Community Conference Area

Historic Photographs Gallery

Object Recognition Touch Table Exhibit

Jean Charlot Gallery with video presentation

Museum Kid’s Area with 3D Printer

Kid’s Area

Kid’s Area Coloring Postcards

Exterior signage at night
“The History of McDonough” video
Research, Script and Art Direction by Museum Planning LLC
“Jean Charlot” video
Research, Script and Art Direction by Museum Planning LLC
Please contact me if you are interested in a”turn-key” museum solution for your community.