Due to the temporary closures of non-essential businesses, the San Diego Air & Space Museum is offering an exciting program to enable our visitors to safely tour the Museum virtually, in real time, from the comfort of their own homes. One hour private tours can be scheduled Wednesdays and Thursdays between 10 AM to 3 PM for a $50 fee. Each reservation can include up to five people in your personal group at no additional cost.

The Museum’s BEAM program enables visitors to tour the Museum through a virtual presence device, known as the BEAM. This technology allows visitors to telecommute into our location, where qualified docents will accompany them on a walking-pace tour of our incomparable 100,000 square foot Museum, featuring over 90 full scale aircraft and replicas, as well a number of special exhibits and galleries. The virtual presence device interface is easy and fun to use and can be accessed by anyone.

What differentiates this program from audio tours and other virtual tours is that the technology allows for an independent and interactive experience through a self-determined path. For example, virtual visitors will be able to interact with an in-house docent as they explore the galleries, seeing the artifacts as clearly as if they were there. Comments and questions from the offsite visitor can be relayed and responded to immediately. Expert explanations will assist in the virtual visitor’s understanding and personal interpretation.

For best results, virtual visitors will need a reliable, low-latency Internet connection capable of 2 Mbps upload and download, a webcam, a microphone and a speaker or headphones. The BEAM user software is available for Windows 7, Windows 8, and Mac OS X 10.7 or higher. Updates are free and automatic, so the visitor will always have the newest features.