Virtual tour of downtown Durham gives unique look at the Bull City

DURHAM, NC (WTVD) -- You can now get a birds-eye view of Durham from a new virtual 360-degree video just released by the Durham Convention and Visitor's Bureau.

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Downtown Durham has changed a lot during the past five years, and the DCVB wanted to give people who haven't been here for a while a chance to see those changes from a unique perspective.

The virtual experience takes you to 13 stops around downtown Durham, including the Durham Performing Arts Center, CCB Plaza, and Durham Central Park. Once you select a location, you're taken from an aerial view to a 360-degree ground view.

Will Hare, DCVB's Senior Manager of Marketing Campaigns says he knew the virtual experience would help bring Durham's personality to life, and "we want this to be a way to feel like you're on the ground in Durham. Potential visitors get a chance to scope out the city before coming here."

Hare adds it's a great way for prospective Duke or NC Central University students to get a feel for the Bull City.

The DCVB is encouraging its partner businesses, venues and event organizers to use the virtual experience to promote themselves and Durham. Hare says, "It will also be a useful sales tool, as it will give our sales team a new way to show off what we have to offer to meeting and event planners who are considering bringing groups to Durham."

The images used in the virtual tour were shot on a beautiful fall day in early October, and the DCVB is already planning to add new content to the experience this spring so the experience will remain fresh.