Photo via the Smithsonian
Photo via the Smithsonian

The Smithsonian’s Natural History Museum in D.C. announced a new app called Skin & Bones that will add a more lively, animated dimension to its Bone Hall, thanks to augmented reality and 3D tracking.

Launched on iTunes, the free app will offer a “special way to ‘see’ skeletons on display in the Bone Hall.” After you download it, you can place your iPhone or iPad over the exhibit to see the enhanced video and audio.

There are 300 skeletons in the hall, 13 of which will come to life through the app. Experiences range from diamondback rattlesnake skulls sinking fangs into rodents, to playing a game that challenges you to identify bat species by their calls. Additionally, there are 32 videos with scientists taking you “around the world — from the Congo to the Arctic and the Amazon.”

The app was developed by the museum with help from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Bone Hall is one of the Smithsonian’s first exhibits, opening in 1881.

Check it out below:

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