Tales of Museums

An audio guide for the museum labels in front of you

Understand the label. In your language.

Point your iPhone at a museum label. Tales of Museums translates it, reads it aloud, and highlights each sentence as you listen.

Coming soon to the App Store for iPhone See how it works
An illustrated visitor with earbuds and round glasses holds up a phone in front of a statue on a pedestal and its label stand.
The app reading a museum label aloud, with the current sentence highlighted.

Read along

Every sentence lights up as it is spoken.

Between 1880 and 1924, more than 23 million immigrants arrived in the United States, drawn by the promise of work, freedom and a better future. They came from every corner of the world, carrying little more than their hopes. At Ellis Island, a long wait in the Registry Room decided where a new life would begin.

Look up at the object while you listen, and glance down whenever you want to read.

How it works

Three steps. No tour to follow.

  1. Point at the label

    Hold your phone steady and tap. Or choose a photo you've already taken, or share one straight from Photos.

  2. Listen in your language

    The label is translated and read aloud in a natural voice, in any of twelve languages.

  3. Learn more

    Key terms explained in plain words, plus a few interesting facts with their sources.

Big wall panels

Long panels, kept in order.

Headings, timelines, tables and charts stay where they belong, and the voice reads them in order, so even a crowded wall panel becomes an easy listen.

An exhibit panel shown with its section heading and the sentence being read highlighted.

Learn more

Facts worth knowing, with sources.

Tap Learn more for the words that matter on the label, and a few facts that bring the object to life. Every fact links to its source.

The Learn more screen with explained terms and interesting facts.

Easy on the eyes

Make the text bigger.

Open the reading in full screen and make the text up to twice the size. It keeps pace with the voice.

A label shown full screen in large text.

Today's visit

Your visit, stamped.

Every label you hear earns a stamp in Today's visit, along with a short summary of what you saw. Tap a stamp to hear it again.

Today's visit: a summary of the day and two stamped labels.

Twelve languages

Starts in your phone's language.

Switch any time with one tap at the top of the screen.

  • English
  • Français
  • Deutsch
  • Español
  • Italiano
  • Português
  • 中文
  • 日本語
  • 한국어
  • Magyar
  • Русский
  • עברית

Unofficial, and honest about it

Tales of Museums isn't affiliated with any museum. Translations, narration and facts are generated by AI and can contain mistakes, and the voice is synthetic. Please follow each venue's photography rules.

Your photos and privacy

A label photo is sent only to create your reading. Location and other hidden photo data are stripped before upload, and there are no ads and no ad tracking. The Privacy Policy spells out exactly what is sent and what is kept.

See you at the museum.

Coming soon to the App Store for iPhone