National Mall Debuts iPhone App
Yellowstone National Park may have been the first national park, but the National Mall is the first with its own iPhone app.
The application gives users labeled maps with walking directions and GPS function so users can determine their location. Users also can look up recommended walking tours based on the amount of time or special interests they have.
In addition to the maps, users can identify the memorials with the “Park Lens” function by holding their device’s camera up to the memorial.
The app, which can be downloaded for free from Apple’s iTunes App Store, has been in the works for about four months, according to National Park Service spokesperson Bill Line.
Currently the app is available only for Apple products, but the National Park Service hopes to make it available on Android devices sometime this fall.
“It is another way in which to make people more comfortable with navigating around the National Mall,” Line said, adding that the Mall receives about 25 million visitors every year.