Mercedes-Benz

I was fortunate enough to go and visit Germany this past spring break with some school friends. We ventured to countless museums and cathedrals, but a memorable technological stop was the Mercedes-Benz Museum.
The host that we stayed with in Stuttgart referred to the Mercedes-Benz Museum as the ‘alien building.’ As we got off the train and walked toward the vicinity I noticed the description was extremely accurate.
Upon entrance into the museum we were given headphones and mp3 players, and ventured up the elevator. Upon exit the mp3 receiver immediately began playing an introduction on the history of travel beginning with horses as the original means of transportation, and then going into the first mobile carriages and cars. This was interesting and abrupt, but it was easy to adjust to.
As you walk around the room you have the option to aim your receiver at numerous exhibits, and you can have information sent to your receiver hearing more information about the car, boat, or gadget. I feel this allowed me to personalize the tour to my liking. In the world where we want it our way all the time, this tour gave me a sense that I was the only one in the room.
After two hours I was fed up with the headphones and the narrator talking to me in my ear. When I looked around, and was becoming aware that others where in fact around me, I saw that everyone else was in their own world of discovery.
Even though as a society we sometimes feel that we are venturing further and further from human interaction, sometimes it is for the better, we are able to get more out of it by being alone and venturing into our own worlds. The audio guides gave people the freedom to roam around and really get a feel for the time and the history of Mercedes-Benz.