Pennsylvania Historical Markers Now Accessible on Smartphones

HARRISBURG, Pa., June 13, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) today announced the addition of state historical markers to its mobile website, PATrailsofHistory.com. Smartphone users can not only explore state-owned and operated historic sites and museums, but they can search, map and visit more than 2,300 historical markers whenever the mood strikes them.

PATrailsofHistory.com automatically recognizes smartphones and other mobile devices, allowing users to locate nearby historic attractions along the Pennsylvania Trails of History®. The site uses geolocation technology to identify the nearest site and provides driving directions from the current location. PHMC launched the mobile site last fall.

The agency plans to continually add content and functionality to the site as more and more people use smartphones to access information on the web. According to the research firm International Data Corporation (IDC), by 2015, more U.S. internet users will access the web through mobile devices than with personal computers.

Since 1946, PHMC's historical markers have chronicled the people, places and events that have affected the lives of Pennsylvanians over the centuries. The familiar signs feature such subjects as Native Americans and settlers, government and politics, athletes, entertainers, artists, struggles for freedom and equality, factories and businesses, and a multitude of other notable topics.

The Pennsylvania Trails of History comprises 25 state-owned historic sites operated by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission in partnership with local support organizations. These sites share more than 300 years of Pennsylvania's— and America's—history. Information on these sites is available at www.PATrailsofHistory.com. Those accessing the website from a mobile device will automatically be redirected to the mobile-optimized site.

The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission is the official history agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Media contact: Howard Pollman, 717-705-8639

SOURCE Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission