Under the direction of Mr. Glenn Riegel, Photo Imaging Technology instructor, and the Preservation Committee, students took photographs of various rooms in the Capitol and turned them into 360° panoramic images that can be "toured" using virtual reality software.

The project is actually two projects wrapped around simultaneous efforts that will produce both the Web-based virtual tour and a projected CD product that is designed to demonstrate the efforts of the Preservation Committee's work to restore, renovate, and preserve the architecture and art of the historic building. The project originated as an opportunity for the students to integrate the changing methods used in still photography with emerging media technologies that enable the viewer to explore images and situations as if he/she were actually there.

Highlights of the tour include the Main Rotunda, the Senate Chamber, the House Chamber, the Supreme Court Chamber, and the Governor's Reception Room. The images give the viewer a rare and intimate glimpse of the halls of Pennsylvania government. They also provide an opportunity to see the beautiful artwork that graces the walls and appreciate the ornate architecture that dates back to the 1800s. Web site visitors can see the Capitol from vantage points that generally are not open to the public. Such a view, the committee feels, will spark the viewer's desire to visit the Capitol in person. The site can be viewed by going to the Pennsylvania General Assembly's Web site, www.legis.state.pa.us and clicking on visitor information.

According to Mr. Riegel, the site will continue to develop and expand in content to match the efforts of the students as they master their skills in traditional and emerging technologies. Plans are in place to show, in detail, how the process of QuickTime Virtual Reality technology operates, as well as expand the collection of still images. Text histories and background information will be added to the site to expand its value as an educational tool.