Be in history: The new time travel

For your next vacation, travel back in time and be on the spot as history unfolds.

It’s possible with new virtual reality tourism, an idea that will immerse tourists in historic moments.

One firm, TimeLooper, already has an app and VR headsets that allow visitors to see history unfold at 12 sites around the world. You can be part of the fall of the , the Great Fire of London in 1666, or see immigrants arrive at Ellis Island in the 1900s. Most virtual reality scenes require a visitor to be at the site. They then download the app or don a headset to immerse themselves in a scene from the past that changes as they walk.

Owlized takes a different approach. Using the classic coin operated viewing stands, the visitor does not see the present day, but instead sees the scenery as it once was.

UrbanTimeTravel creates virtual reality scenes for cities. Users can don goggles to view the scenery from a past era. This can be done from a tour bus, for example.

The companies work closely with museums and historians to bring the landscape and history to life, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The VR experiences cost about $7 to $10 per view. You’ll be seeing these options everywhere you travel.