QR Codes for Museums & Galleries
Exhibit labels every visitor can use
Next to an exhibit label, a museum QR code can open an audio-described tour or transcript, and elsewhere it sells memberships, programs, and gift shop prints.
Public museums run by state and local governments must make their web content meet WCAG 2.1, Level AA under a DOJ rule, starting April 26, 2027 for larger governments.
That rule covers every page an exhibit QR code opens, including audio descriptions and transcripts.
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How Museums and Galleries Use QR Codes
Codes work best where a printed label runs out of room.
Exhibit Labels
The story behind the object
A code on the label opens a longer description, the artist’s background, or related works.
Audio-Described Tours
Another way to experience a work
A code opens an audio description or transcript for visitors with low vision or who prefer to listen.
Memberships and Programs
From one visit to the next
A code at the exit or ticket desk opens the membership page, upcoming talks, or family programs.
Gift Shop and Prints
Take the artwork home
A code beside a work opens the print, catalog, or postcard for sale in the shop.
What Are QR Codes for Museums and Galleries?
A museum or gallery QR code is a code on an exhibit label, map, or sign that opens audio descriptions, extended texts, tour pages, or shop listings when a visitor scans it. For public museums, the page it opens counts as web content under the DOJ’s accessibility rule.
What the DOJ Accessibility Rule Means for Exhibit Codes
The Department of Justice explains the rule in its fact sheet on the Title II web and mobile app accessibility rule.
- Technical standard: State and local government web content and mobile apps must meet WCAG 2.1, Level AA.
- What it covers: Web content a public entity provides or makes available, including content made by contractors on its behalf.
- Larger governments: Entities with a total population of 50,000 or more must comply by April 26, 2027.
- Smaller governments: Entities under 50,000, and special district governments, must comply by April 26, 2028.
- Deadline extension: An Interim Final Rule published April 20, 2026 set these dates.
- Private galleries: A privately run gallery is not a public entity under Title II, though accessible pages still serve its visitors.
What an Exhibit QR Code Can Open
- Audio description: A spoken description of the work for visitors who cannot see it clearly.
- Transcript: A text version of any audio or video content.
- Extended label: Background, provenance, and related works.
- Tour route: The next stop on a themed or family tour.
- Shop listing: The print, catalog, or merchandise for that work.
How to Create a Museum QR Code in TLinky
Use dynamic codes on labels, since exhibits rotate and a fix to the linked page should reach every visitor without reprinting.
Here is the step by step guide:
- Log in to your TLinky account, click Create, then select QR Code.
- Name the code and choose a domain (domains apply to dynamic codes and depend on your plan).
- Select Link for an exhibit page or audio tour, or File for a large-print PDF guide.
- Enter the page URL, or upload the file.
- Customize Templates, Colors, and Design to match your exhibit design, click Generate QR, then Save Changes and download.
Pro Tip: Name each code after its gallery and object number, so scan statistics show which works visitors want to know more about.
Label Every Work
Where to Place Museum QR Codes
- Exhibit labels: One code per work or case, at a height wheelchair users can reach and scan.
- Gallery entrances: A code for the room’s audio tour and map.
- Tactile maps and braille guides: A code that opens the same tour in audio.
- Ticket desk: Membership, events, and family program codes.
- Gift shop displays: Codes for prints of featured works, the same approach used for QR codes on art.
Accessibility Checks for Exhibit Codes
- Make the linked page accessible: For public museums, the page must meet WCAG 2.1, Level AA, not just the printed label.
- Add a transcript to audio: Visitors who are deaf or hard of hearing need a text version of audio content.
- Do not just repeat the label: An audio description should describe what the work looks like, not read the printed text aloud.
- Place codes within reach: Mount labels so visitors in wheelchairs can scan them.
- Keep a non-phone option: Offer large-print guides at the desk for visitors without a phone.
Update Exhibits Without New Labels
Exhibits rotate and descriptions get corrected. The wall label can stay while the audio page behind it improves.
Museum and Gallery QR Code Questions
Does the DOJ web accessibility rule apply to every museum?
No. It applies to state and local government entities, such as city, county, and state museums and public universities. Privately run galleries and independent nonprofit museums fall outside Title II, though other ADA rules may still apply to them.
What happens if an exhibit code opens a page that fails WCAG 2.1?
For a public museum, that page is web content covered by the rule, so it would need to meet WCAG 2.1, Level AA once the compliance date applies. The museum still has to provide the information in an accessible way to a visitor who needs it.
Should an audio description repeat the wall label?
No. An audio description should describe what the work looks like, including colors, shapes, and composition, for visitors who cannot see it clearly.
Can one QR code open both the audio tour and the gift shop?
It can, but separate codes keep each page simple. A visitor at a work wants the description first, while a shop code fits better near the exit or a shop display.
When does a public museum have to comply?
It depends on the size of the government that runs it. Museums run by larger governments face the April 2027 date, while those run by smaller governments or special districts have until April 2028.
See How QR Codes Can Grow Your Business
Cultural and public institutions use the same exhibit, tour, and program codes.
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Start Your Exhibit QR Code
Put audio descriptions, transcripts, and tours beside every work, then improve the page behind each label as exhibits change.