The Virtual Bethel Experience

Virtual Bethel is a Virtual Reality experience that was made in collaboration with the School of Informatics and Computing (SOIC) of IUPUI with the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in downtown Indianapolis. After Bethel AME was sold due to financial hardship, Rodney Freeman, an SOIC alum and church member, reached out to SOIC to help digitally preserve this historic landmark while allowing for the content to be interactive virtually. Virtual Bethel utilizes Virtual Reality as a mode of historical preservation by building 3D models and experiences in which users can explore the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal church even after its physical reconstruction. This dataset contains the comprehensive, completed Virtual Reality Experience of Virtual Bethel and the 3D modeled elements made from Bethel AME that can be accessed using a computer and HTC Vive Virtual Reality Kit. There are also other assorted photographs, images, video files, and audio files within this dataset. Further information may be found in the Getting Started Guide and readMe.