A Revolutionary Life

The Project

Working Studio partnered with Louisville-based experiential design firm Solid Light to fabricate a series of interactive experiences for George Washington: A Revolutionary Life, a permanent exhibition at George Washington’s Mount Vernon. The exhibit explores Washington’s extraordinary life and leadership while inviting visitors to engage directly with the challenges, decisions, and innovations that shaped his role as a military leader, farmer, and first President of the United States.

Working Studio brought the exhibit’s hands-on experiences to life through a collection of tactile interactives that transform complex historical ideas into engaging, physical experiences. From testing the strength required to move an 18th-century cannon to exploring Washington’s approach to agriculture and the unprecedented responsibilities of the presidency, each interactive encourages visitors to learn through participation.

Cannon Pull puts visitors’ strength to the test. Working together, guests pull on a rope connected to a 2,000-pound weight, simulating the immense effort required to move heavy artillery across the rough terrain of the Revolutionary era. A light bar provides immediate feedback—red indicates the cannon has yet to move, yellow signals slow progress, and green shows that visitors are keeping pace. Successfully moving the weight rings a bell, rewarding teamwork and demonstrating why soldiers often relied on teams of people and horses to transport their equipment.

Drum Call explores the Continental Army’s use of music as a vital communication system. Visitors select a military command and hear the corresponding historical drum signal, then use a specially illuminated drum to play along and match the rhythm. The experience demonstrates how standardized drumbeats helped soldiers receive orders and coordinate activities both on the battlefield and in camp.

At Soil Rotation, visitors step into Washington’s role as an innovative farmer. By turning a series of graphic rollers, guests explore agricultural techniques including fallowing, crop rotation, and planting diverse crops. Combining different methods reveals how each approach affected soil health, demonstrating Washington’s efforts to improve agricultural productivity and maintain healthy soil at Mount Vernon over time.

Oath of Office places visitors at a defining moment in American history: Washington’s inauguration as the nation’s first President. Visitors place their hand on a replica Bible to activate an audio prompt and participate in a repeat-after-me experience, raising their right hand and reciting the presidential oath. The interactive transforms a historic moment into an opportunity for visitors to experience the ceremony firsthand.

My Name Is invites visitors to explore a question that had never before needed an answer: What should Americans call their new national leader? With no precedent for the office of President, Congress debated titles that could convey the importance of the position without suggesting royalty or nobility. Visitors manipulate magnetic title elements to explore the possibilities and consider what each choice communicated about the new role of the American president.

Finally, Acts of Congress examines how Washington helped define an entirely new office. Visitors interact with a reproduction of an Acts of Congress document, using tactile sliders to reveal Washington’s handwritten annotations. The experience highlights how the Constitution served as the framework for the presidency while Washington interpreted the responsibilities and powers of an office no American had ever held before.

Together, these experiences demonstrate Working Studio’s role in translating historical narratives into durable, tactile, and engaging visitor experiences. Through physical interaction, teamwork, experimentation, and play, George Washington: A Revolutionary Life gives visitors a more personal connection to the decisions, challenges, and innovations that helped shape the early United States.