Audience and Impact Research
Parents’ Survey
In January, 2026 we conducted a national survey of parents
Perfect for families and curious explorers ages 6 and up, this experience transforms familiar outdoor spaces into an interactive adventure with both education and entertainment in mind. Writer and Creator of the story, Michael Epstein says, "The project came from watching my own son experience what so many San Franciscans do, learning about Native Californian culture in school and then trying to figure out how these teachings can guide our modern lives.”
Petlenuc Interrupted is the first chapter of the Claims Trilogy, project funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Deeper Dive
Deeper Dive will help you explore the history, characters, and themes in Petlenuc Interrupted. It is designed to be explored after taking the tour, although some of the information here can help set up the story before you experience it.
Behind-The-Scenes
Hear from the creative team behind Petlenuc Interrupted
This project explores how land-based history can be conveyed through audio, site exploration, and large-scale augmented reality. Working with Native American advisors and creatives, “Petenluc Interrupted” looks at how one small tract of land holds deep history and potential clues to the future of San Francisco’s troubled housing policies. This story was preceded by our award-winning walk “Museum of the Hidden City,” which looked at how current housing policy was influenced by Urban Renewal in the 1960’s. Looking back further in time, “Petlenuc Interrupted” uncovers Indigenous housing history of the village of Petlenuc, one of the three Ohlone village sites in San Francisco. While geared towards young children, the story also hints at ways Native American history can inform future housing policy and ways our Indigenous history is taught.
Audience Studies
The techniques being used to create the project’s app include photogrammetry (for scanning recreations of Ohlone huts,) GPS triggered audio, and Unity-based augmented reality. This project includes our most ambitious AR work to date, including Bay-sized versions of the creation story, our first AR character (Coyote,) and fully three-dimensional structures you can walk inside of and interact with. As always, we use the landscape itself as a guide for how to create the AR, making sure it fits visually with the built and natural environments. The story is delivered via a Unity-based app for iPhone and Android and we are working on an AR glasses version available on rental devices.
3-D/Photogrammetry
Augmented Reality
GPS-Triggered Audio
Production Stills
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Tunnel Tops Park
The experience takes place in the stunning, new Tunnel Tops Park in the Presidio, near the Golden Gate Bridge.
PHOTO CREDIT: WALKING CINEMA
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User Testing: AR Map
Audience tests an AR overlay to a bronze map of the Presidio.
PHOTO CREDIT: WALKING CINEMA
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![Animating Coyote]()
Animating Coyote
Tour used full 3D to bring the character of Coyote to life in the world around you.
PHOTO CREDIT: WALKING CINEMA
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Deep Time
The experience touches upon centuries of cultural and natural relationships developed on this site. And it all happens in public space, available any time you want.
PHOTO CREDIT WALKING CINEMA
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Fire Pit
It can get cold out on the Tunnel Tops Park. The tour ends here to warm folks up a bit and go out in a blaze of glory.
PHOTO CREDIT: WALKING CINEMA
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