Contact: Jeanne Cumby
cumby@armchairtour.com

New Orleans, LA - February 14, 2001 – Eden Street Software announces the release of the New Orleans ArmchairTour, the latest product in the ArmchairTour: Historic City Series. This innovative CD-based product contains an entire historic district in virtual form – every street, every house, every church, park, and business – allowing "armchair tourists" to explore the sites and sounds of the area as if they were actually there.

“It's like nothing you've seen before,” explains Patrick Cumby, president of Eden Street Software. “We call the concept immersive discovery – you can walk up and down the streets, admire the scenery, go inside many of the homes, churches, and museums – even stop and talk to the locals.”

The New Orleans ArmchairTour is remarkably comprehensive; including detailed historical, architectural, and business information for over 1,500 sites in the Vieux Carré district. “If it's there in the real world, it's there in the ArmchairTour,” says Cumby. “When we say every street, every block, every house, we really mean it!”

While the amount of information in each tour may be encyclopedic, the ArmchairTour is no dry, scholarly work. “Exploring the streets and alleys in an ArmchairTour is almost addictive. There’s a treasure hunt where you follow clues that take you in and around the hidden alleyways, there are ghost tours, pirate lore, even a couple of French Quarter crossword puzzles," says Cumby. "It’s a fun way for people to plan their visit to the French Quarter, and a unique way for them to return and visit again, from the comfort of their own home.”

The ArmchairTour was meticulously researched and photographed in an effort to make it the most complete, single source of information about the French Quarter ever published. It contains nearly 3,000 photographs, as well as interactive spherical panoramas (where the user controls the camera angle) – there are even hundreds of historical photos where you can see how the city has changed over the past 140 years.

In addition to the free-explore mode, where the users can stroll the streets on their own, there are dozens of specialty tours, from “Front Doors,” to “Voodoo” and “Vampires.” You can even explore inside many of New Orleans' most famous homes and buildings.

Respected local tour guides Bill Coble, Lyndel Brauninger, and Paul Neuski lend their voices to the ArmchairTour. Each brings a personal touch to the tour, and enriches the tour experience with a prodigious knowledge of French Quarter history.

In addition to the city tours, the product also includes a museum with exhibits such as interactive historic timelines, photo galleries, artisan profiles, and information about the natural history of the area. There’s even a virtual version of Jackson Square, where you can meet a few New Orleanians and find out what it’s like to be a native.

The New Orleans ArmchairTour requires Microsoft Windows and has a suggested retail price of $39.95. It is available in gift shops and bookstores throughout New Orleans, or from www.armchairtour.com on the web.

Founded in 1999 and based in historic Edenton, NC, Eden Street Software, Inc. produces state-of-the-art virtual tour products for the travel and tourism industry.  ArmchairTour is a trademark of Eden Street Software, Inc. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.