Stories about the places you drive past.
Cross the Golden Gate and hear how it was built. Pass a fort and learn why its cannons never fired. RoadStory knows where you are and tells the story right then, in a warm voice made for 6-year-olds.
Hey explorers! Look out the window.
Press one button. Then just drive.
No setup, no menus while you're behind the wheel.
Open RoadStory
It starts right away and plays through your car speakers over Bluetooth. Kids can also explore the map and tap any spot to hear its story.
Drive anywhere
As you reach a landmark, the story starts by itself: forts, lighthouses, redwoods, shipwrecks, bridges. Stories never cut each other off.
Quiz the back seat
Every story ends with a question. Kids tap the answer on a tablet or shout it out, and earn a sticker for their island.
A screen for the back seat
Pair a tablet, an old phone or the car's own screen with a 4-digit code. It shows the story's picture with big read-along words, giant quiz buttons and a "next adventure in 0.4 miles" countdown.
Got a Tesla?
RoadStory works great with Tesla's rear touchscreen and big front display. We wrote up the easiest ways to get it on screen.
20 stories around Marin, and more wherever you go
Hand-written and fact-checked for Mill Valley, the Headlands and the Golden Gate. In new places, Tumbly writes and illustrates fresh stories about real landmarks while you drive.
The Golden Gate Bridge
Built 1933 to 1937.
The Fort Under the Bridge
Built 1853 to 1861.
The Island of Pelicans
The name comes from 'Isla de los Alcatraces', old Spanish for island of the pelicans (or seabirds).
The Rainbow Tunnel
Officially the Waldo Tunnel, opened in 1937.
Fort Baker
An army post from 1897; the last soldiers left in 2000.
The Hidden Cannons
Battery Spencer was built in the 1890s.
The One-Lane Tunnel
The Baker-Barry Tunnel is one lane and uses a traffic light.
The Lighthouse and the Fog Cannon
First lit in 1855.
The Shipwreck in the Fog
The SS Tennessee ran aground here in fog on March 6, 1853.
The Giant Redwoods
Became a National Monument in 1908.
The Sleeping Lady Mountain
Mount Tam's East Peak is about 2,570 feet tall.
The Crookedest Railroad in the World
The Mill Valley and Mount Tamalpais Scenic Railway opened in 1896.
RoadStory questions
Is it safe to use while driving?
RoadStory is designed for the driver to set and forget. It starts on its own and needs no taps while moving. Passengers or kids in the back can play with the map and quizzes. Always follow local laws about phones in cars.
Does it need cell signal?
Hand-written stories are recorded ahead of time, so they keep playing in tunnels and the Headlands. Asking questions and new-area stories need signal.
Can kids ask their own questions?
Yes. Hold the microphone button and ask "why is the bridge orange?" and RoadStory answers in a few seconds. Recordings are not kept.
What does it cost?
Every pre-made story is free. Tumbly Family ($7.99/month or $59.99/year) adds new-area stories, more questions and every new Tumbly world.