PhilaPlace.org has won an honorable mention at the highly competitive Museums and the Web 2010 conference hosted by the Archives & Museum Informatics. Museums and the Web is the most prestigious of the annual Web site conference awards that recognizes great work in the field of culture, science, and heritage online. PhilaPlace.org received the award in the exhibitions category, which receives the most submissions of any of the competitive categories.

The judges complimented the Web site's technology (i.e. map interface), the "share your story" feature, and the education section. To view the PhilaPlace award and for a full list of awardees, visit the conference Web site http://conference.archimuse.com/forum/congratulations_mw2010_best_web_winners.

PhilaPlace.org was launched last December by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. The interactive Web site connects stories to places across time in Philadelphia’s neighborhoods, creating an enduring record of the city’s heritage. It weaves stories shared by ordinary people of all backgrounds with historical records to present an interpretive picture that captures the rich history, cultures, and architecture of our neighborhoods – past and present.

PhilaPlace.org uses a multimedia format, including interactive maps (both contemporary and historic), text, photographs, and audio and video clips. PhilaPlace features approximately 200 neighborhood stories told through text, audio and video.  Visitors to the site can contribute new content on an ongoing basis and have the ability to map their own stories in place and time.  The site also includes K-12 lesson plans for teachers. More than a Web site, PhilaPlace engages diverse communities through local programs, teacher workshops, trolley tours, exhibits, and printed neighborhood guides.

The project is a collaborative endeavor undertaken by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in partnership with the City of Philadelphia Department of Records, the University of Pennsylvania School of Design, other institutions and community organizations, and members of the community who share their personal stories.

PhilaPlace has been made possible by generous support from The Pew Center for Arts and Heritage, through the Heritage Philadelphia Program; jointly by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the National Endowment for the Humanities; the Pennsylvania Humanities Council, the Federal-State Partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities; The Pennsylvania Department of Education; Southwest Airlines; the Connelly Foundation; Samuel S. Fels Fund; The Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation; and the Walter J. Miller Foundation.

For additional information, please contact the PhilaPlace Team at philaplace@hsp.org.