Opened in July 2024, Hopetown Darlington is a new heritage visitor attraction in Northeast England. It was funded and supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Art Fund, Historic England, Darlington Borough Council, and Tees Valley Combined Authority.
Figment, in partnership with project lead consultants PLB Projects LTD designed 25 family-friendly and accessible interactive exhibits celebrating the birthplace of passenger railways, both inside the museum and throughout the Hopetown site. Visitors can meet pre-filmed historical characters on Magic Mirror screens, view full-scale CG recreations of Darlington-built locomotives in the Goods Shed, and experience animated paintings and talking head busts that bring the stories of almost 200 years of history to life. Throughout the museum photo moments were specifically designed so guests can share their interactive experiences easily across social media.
An AR app was developed by Figment and is available on iOS and Google Play APP stores. It allows guests to scan QR codes at 12 locations around the site and meet CG historical characters who provide information about the site. Immersive soundscapes range from recreations of British Parliament in the 1820s and the infamous station ghost in the original Victorian toilets, to a fully immersive Victorian platform soundscape which spans the entire railway museum with 32 channels of audio.
Throughout Hopetown Darlington, interactives and the immersive ride experience incorporate green screen filming, voiceover recordings, editing, motion graphics, digital effects, and software development. Figment achieved this by utilising all its in-house talent to create a world-class visitor attraction that promises to draw visitors and families from all over the country.