The Haas-Lilienthal House Museum Implements Spanish Tour Translation
by Grace Pegan Weltner| Posted: 9/15/2009
Haas-Lilienthal House
Credit: Heather R. Kraft
The Haas-Lilienthal House Museum, a property of San Francisco Architectural Heritage, recently realized a long-standing aspiration and implemented a Spanish tour translation. The Haas-Lilienthal House, a stunning Queen Anne Victorian built in 1886 by Bavarian immigrants, is San Francisco’s only house museum open to the public. Docents give tours detailing the history of the Haas and Lilienthal families, the architecture, and San Francisco. The House is often frequented by international visitors, the majority being Spanish and German speakers. Such visitors enjoy seeing how a real family would have lived in Victorian San Francisco.
The Spanish translation, “La casa Haas-Lilienthal: Guía en español del tour,” was our first in what is now a full translation program. Its great success prompted the creation of French, German, and Chinese translations as well. Two of our most-experienced docents worked on the translation project, one a native Spanish speaker and the other a native English speaker, fluent in Spanish. They were able to contribute expert knowledge of architectural terms as well as colloquialisms, both adding their unique perspectives. Careful and accurate translation of architectural, artistic, and historical terms was essential as the House showcases many different styles of architecture, including many that are not familiar today.
Spanish speaking patrons from all over the world can now follow along with our tour guides, able to read the often complex architectural and artistic terms in their native language. This facilitates a much more pleasant and educational experience for the patrons and guide alike. Here at the Haas-Lilienthal House we want all of our visitors to leave with an appreciation for San Francisco’s unique architecture and we feel that providing international visitors with a useful translation will encourage this.
The Haas-Lilienthal House Museum has recently seen a great increase in international visitors and our translations are more and more frequently used. Here at the Haas-Lilienthal House we hope the success we have experienced with international Spanish visitors can be paralleled in the local Spanish speaking community, as the house itself is an integral part of the San Francisco landscape.
Grace Pegan Weltner is Volunteer Coordinator with the Haas-Lilienthal House, a property of San Francisco Architectural Heritage.
