National Parks Now

Proposal for Steamtown National Historic Site

Our team will recontextualize the Steamtown National Historic Site within the narrative of speculative fiction and seeks to posit the site as an incubator for the contemporary American steampunk movement and makers culture.

Steam still plays a crucial role in the modern technological landscape. At Steamtown, visitors will explore the technical components of artifacts, understand the role that steam power plays in our contemporary society and discover the possibilities of a future society of steam technology.

Steampunk is a growing subcultural movement inspired by early 20th century transportation and post-apocalyptic and alternative-history fiction. The term “steampunk” most commonly describes fashion, literature and technology in this genre. It’s popularity has inspired a unique subset of DIY-fashion and led to the development of homemade, modern-day steam technologies. Steampunk is an inspirational, imaginative framework that remembers the past and envisions the future. With the renewed interest in do-it-yourself and innovation, the culture of making and American craftsmanship, Steamtown’s history, artifacts and repair shop tours would be of the most interest to the growing community of creative and curious people. So-called steampunks, makers and gearologists, mostly of the Millennial generation, belong to an emerging subculture founded on an interest in steam-era technology and artisan craftsmanship and represent an untapped market for Steamtown.

We propose a self-guided park tour through the steampunk lens of narrative fiction. Using props and reading materials, the visitor takes on the point-of-view of a steampunk protagonist visitingSteamtown from the future. By presenting an alternative tour through the park through the lens of a future steampunk traveler we aim to introduce park visitors to this genre. We want visitors to explore the components of artifacts, understand the role that steam power plays in our contemporary society, and imagine the possibilities of a future society of steam technology. A steampunk tour of Steamtown will turn the park into a dynamic site where you can see trains and history in motion. A self-guided tour has very low upkeep expenses and lends itself to a variety of interesting options for graphics and branding.

The self-guided tour we propose will include an online tour of transportation artifacts. By establishing a digital portal for the park we seek to bring it to the online steampunk community. The self-guided tour will also include an associated smartphone app to be used in the self-guided tour thru the park. The app will offer a way of navigating the park, contextualizing the history of Steamtown in a new narrative.By scanning QR codes at information stations, visitors can collect digital tokens that can be used to access 3D models of the transportation artifacts.

Furthermore, we propose that recontextualizing Steamtown through the steampunk lens lends itself to a large-scale, annual steampunk and makers event.The event could include a steampunk short-fiction contest and reading, a craft fair, children’s events, workshops and tutorials, panel discussions and guided tours.

Our proposed reimagining of Steamtown will make use of existing resources at Steamtown, such as the theater, artisan workspaces, knowledgeable technicians, and accessible location. Steampunk-themed activities open new revenue streams, support local hospitality business, catalyze friendships and ongoing collaborative projects, and open visitors’ minds to new ways of thinking while respecting the traditions of the national historic site.

STEAMTOWN REIMAGINED

SUPPORTING MATERIALS