Providence Center at Saint-Mary-of-the-Woods announces a new way to enjoy touring by using handheld audiophones.

Ten of the lightweight units are available at the Providence Center welcome desk. Each is programmed with tour information about the sites and history of many indoor and outdoor attractions at the Sisters of Providence.

The 10 audiophones were obtained via a partnership with the Terre Haute Convention and Visitors Bureau. The easy-to-use, battery-powered audiophones are used for self-guided tours so people can visit at the time they so choose and adapt as needed. Up to six people can easily use one audiophone as a part of this new touring option.

The audiophones include an Architecture Tour, which also incorporates buildings at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, including Guerin Hall and St. Cecilia Conservatory of Music. A second tour focuses on the various statues on the grounds of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. Eventually, the tours will be available in Spanish.

Tour features will showcase indoor attractions such as the National Shrine of Saint Mother Theodore, the Heritage Museum, the National Shrine of Our Lady of Providence, the dioramas, the Sisters of Providence Life & Mission wall, the Blessed Sacrament Chapel and more. Outdoor attractions highlighted include Corbe House, the Woodland Inn, and the Le Fer Bridge and Lake.

The audiophones add yet another dimension to the tour offerings at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. The audiophone tour highlights that the church stained glass windows were made at the Royal Bavarian Art Institute of Munich and that at the rear of the church is a wood processional cross, which was carved from a linden tree that Saint Mother Theodore Guerin planted here in the 1840s. Visitors will discover where all the marble comes from and that the stone is from around the world.

To learn more details about the audiophones, stop by the Providence Center welcome desk or call 812-535-4531.

To coordinate a group tour or other visit, contact Providence Center Administrative Assistant Tina Soules at 812-535-2952 or e-mail provctr@spsmw.org.