Mundanity doesn’t exist inside the Museum of Illusions, a perception-twisting playground for the mind and senses that recently opened in Fitzrovia. There are over 70 exhibits in total inside the sprawling 10,000 square foot venue, including immersive rooms that defy gravity and a tunnel that appears to spin without moving a millimetre, and yes, each one is as extraordinarily boggling as the next.
Luckily, the museum also shines a light on the science behind each installation. There’s no need to tumble down a rabbit hole; you can find this fascinating gateway to a puzzling world on Tottenham Court Road, just two minutes from the station, and it’s open now.
What you can expect to discover inside the Museum of Illusions
The timeless artistry of optical illusions can be traced back thousands of years to Ancient Greek architecture, with the columns of the Parthenon purposefully curved by builders so they would look straight from a distance. Over time, it has also been used as a grandeur-conjuring painting technique in the Renaissance era and applied as a tactical camouflage to confuse the enemy during World War I.
Now, at the Museum of Illusions, you can delve into all the technical trickery that makes these illusions possible, exploring how intelligence and logic are hacked using geometric distortion, light manipulation or forced perspective.
Of course, the best way to learn about the art of illusions is to try some out yourself. The museum has plenty of installations to explore, inviting you to escape reality as you step inside psychedelic kaleidoscopes, shudder at ghostly visuals or finally get the chance to tower over your tall sibling in a perspective-distorting room.
Each exhibit is a fusion of entertainment and education, so when you find yourself lost in an endless infinity or stumbling along the Vortex tunnel, you’ll never be left questioning the how for long – though that is half the fun.
Make sure to bring the camera. This is a perfect chance to snap some striking photos to juice up your Instagram feed – or trick your friends and family back home. The immersive rooms offer almost otherworldly visuals, and it’s likely your only chance to get a shot of yourself hanging from the iconic door of 10 Downing Street.
Plus, when you emerge from the Museum of Illusions, your head spinning in circles, you’ll want some evidence of these seemingly impossible illusions.
