After nearly a year and a half of development, smart phone and tablet users can now download a new application for Hopewell Furnace NHS.
This free app provides users the opportunity to explore and learn about the history, use and stories of buildings and landscapes of the National Historic Site.
“This new product provides another opportunity for Hopewell Furnace to connect visitors to the unique stories and sites of the historic furnace and Village,” said Site Manager David Blackburn. “A 2015 study by the Pew Research Center stated that over 68% of adults in the United States own a smartphone. Our new app allows a broad audience to experience the historic site, on site or off, through this growing digital medium.”
In addition to providing stories and information on the buildings and sites of Hopewell Furnace, the app provides two themed self-guided tours, ‘Highlights of Hopewell Furnace’ and ‘Ore to Iron – How Is Iron Made?’ Other features include an interactive map, daily calendar of events, and information on planning a visit. The app is available for Android products through Google Play and for Apple products through iTunes. The app is free. The Hopewell Furnace NHS Visitor Center now has free Wi-Fi to facilitate the download of the app during your visit.
Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site preserves and interprets an early American industrial landscape and community. Showcasing an iron plantation and its surrounding countryside, Hopewell Furnace was active from 1771 to 1883.
The park’s facilities are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. It is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Hopewell Furnace is located five miles south of Birdsboro, PA, off of Route 345. Admission to the park is free.
For more information stop by the park’s visitor center, call 610-582-8773, visit the park’s web site at www.nps.gov/hofu, or contact us by e-mail at hofu_superintendent@nps.gov. Visitors with specific needs may contact the park for assistance before their visit.
