WASHINGTON, DC.- The Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum today launched “Unhidden Heroines,” an augmented-reality experience on the National Mall that brings to life the stories of five women who helped shape American history. The immersive experience is now available for visitors on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and accessible remotely nationwide from any smartphone or tablet through Saturday, Dec. 31, at unhidden-heroines.com. “Unhidden Heroines” is part of the Smithsonian Institution’s programming for the nation’s 250th anniversary.

With several key monuments, memorials and statues, the National Mall is one of the country’s most symbolic spaces for remembering and learning about American history. “Unhidden Heroines” adds the stories of five American women to this historic landscape.

“‘Unhidden Heroines’ imagines landmarks dedicated to women’s history in the heart of our nation, celebrating the unsung achievements of five remarkable American women on the National Mall and beyond,” said Melanie Adams, interim director of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum.

The five women highlighted are:

• Polly Cooper, an Oneida woman pivotal to the success of Washington’s Continental Army, at the Washington Monument.

• Julia Ward Howe, creator of a rallying cry, “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” for the Union cause during the Civil War, at the Lincoln Memorial.

• Dorothy Height, a civil and women rights activist known as the “Godmother of the Civil Rights Movement,” at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.

• Elizebeth Smith Friedman, a cryptanalyst central to cracking Nazi code during World War II, at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial.

• Mary Katharine Goddard, the printer who published the first signed copy of the Declaration of Independence, at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.

“Unhidden Heroines” uses AR technology and interactive storytelling to connect the histories of these women to iconic monuments on the National Mall, memorializing their accomplishments during pivotal moments in the nation’s history. Through geolocation and custom 3D models, audiences of all ages are invited to step into their world and encounter the stories of these “Unhidden Heroines” as if told firsthand.

“This experience is truly representative of our museum’s mission to expand the story of America through the often-untold accounts and accomplishments of women and a prime example of how we are prioritizing innovative programming,” Adams said. “We hope witnessing the transformative contributions of these women in a place of such significance will inspire all Americans to envision the powerful stories the museum will tell in this same space, as we progress toward opening our permanent home on the National Mall.”

Visitors to the National Mall can enjoy “Unhidden Heroines” by scanning a QR code on their smartphones or tablets and holding them up to each monument for the stories to appear on screen. Audiences can also explore the experience remotely from any location using the QR code or URL. The “Unhidden Heroines” digital experience was developed by the award-winning creative agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners, with the women illustrated by Believe and the full AR experience built and designed in 3D by Current Studios.