When Mount Vernon first reached out to Simple Booth, the request was simple: a photo kiosk for the Orientation Center. Not a marketing platform, not a data strategy, a fun photo op for the nearly one million people who visit George Washington’s estate each year.
The estate built it with Simple Booth HALO®, a digital photo booth platform that pairs studio lighting with self-running software for photo delivery, online galleries, and real-time analytics.
The photo kiosk also arrived at a meaningful moment. Mount Vernon has spent years building toward the nation’s 250th anniversary, and the kiosk became the centerpiece of the Orientation Center’s America 250 display.
Two years in, visitors have taken nearly 70,000 photos and shared them more than 56,000 times. They’ve also added more than 29,000 email addresses to Mount Vernon’s audience. And the one thing staff still have to remind visitors of with actual signage? It’s free.
Built For Visitors, Not The Funnel
The Media and Communications team designed the kiosk around a custom backdrop of the estate’s mansion. It’s a thoughtful touch: through the mansion’s major restoration ahead of the anniversary, the backdrop has meant every guest still takes home the iconic vista.
A matching digital frame ties it together, so the whole installation reads as one exhibit.
The team sees it land hardest with the fifth and eighth graders who arrive by the busload on school trips. For students, the kiosk is a sign that a 300-year-old estate thought about them too.
“We want people to see themselves in America’s story. Interactive tools like HALO make that connection immediate. Visitors can picture themselves in history instead of just observing it.”
– Lauren Herba, Media and Communications Specialist at Mount Vernon
A Memento That Keeps Moving
Mount Vernon doesn’t use guest photos in its own marketing. The photos belong to the visitors, and visitors do plenty with them.
With an average of three people in each photo, those 56,000 shares reach friends and family well beyond the estate. Each one is a personal recommendation from someone who was just there.
“People notice right away that the HALO photos look more professional than what they could take on their phones. That’s what motivates them to share.”
– Lauren Herba, Media and Communications Specialist at Mount Vernon
The List Grew On Its Own
When guests enter an email address to receive their photo, they’re also offered the chance to subscribe to Mount Vernon’s newsletters. That’s the entire mechanism. No clipboard, no pitch, just an option offered the moment guests are excited to begin their historical journey.
More than 29,000 email addresses have come through the kiosk so far. For a nonprofit heritage site, each one is a potential return visitor, member, donor, or event attendee.
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Mount Vernon found a fitting use for those sign-ups, too: each month, one participant receives a complimentary one-year family membership. They don’t even advertise the giveaway. It’s a thank-you, and for one family a month, the start of a longer relationship with the estate.
“The data helps us understand who we’re reaching and how we can strengthen our connection with different audiences.”
– Lauren Herba, Media and Communications Specialist at Mount Vernon
Photo Kiosks Made Easy
Managing the kiosk was one of Lauren’s first responsibilities when she joined Mount Vernon, and it took no time to learn.
The kiosk runs all day through school field trips, summer peaks, and the anniversary surge, welcoming more than 213,000 participants so far.
With the HALO app, photo delivery, galleries, email capture, and analytics all run automatically. Staff step in only for brief checks, and software costs less than $1,500 a year.
“It’s intuitive for both guests and staff. It takes no time to manage and adds a lot to the experience.”
– Lauren Herba, Media and Communications Specialist at Mount Vernon
What Historic Sites Get Back
At Mount Vernon, the kiosk’s return shows up all across the visitor journey. It’s in the shared photos reaching friends and family who haven’t visited yet. It’s in students who leave feeling like a 300-year-old estate made room for them. And it’s in the 29,000 people who said “yes” to hearing from Mount Vernon again.
“This is a simple, cost-effective way to engage visitors. It’s one more small step that keeps our story alive and relevant.”
– Lauren Herba, Media and Communications Specialist at Mount Vernon
That’s the case for keeping it free. Free is the reason visitors line up, and the line is where everything else begins: the photos, the shares, and an email list that grows on its own.
Curious what a museum photo kiosk could bring back to your institution?