SCOTTSDALE, AZ — The global concept of ‘Museum of Illusions’ is finally set to open its doors in Arizona this March!
“Museum of Illusion has over 60 mind-bending exhibits, installations and immersive rooms where guests can walk inside of a room and actually become part of the illusion- making for some pretty fun photo-worthy moments,” said Stacy Stec, director of sales and marketing for Museum of Illusions, in an interview with ABC15.
The museum also comes with several optical illusions that are framed; the illusory effect may happen when you stare at it, walk by it, or even look at it on your phone’s camera.
“We’re truly an all-ages experience and we see families, we see people come in for date night… we see groups come in for cooperate events as well,” said Stec. “Everybody loves illusions and they’re fun to look at, but they also teach us a little bit about how to perceive the world around us.”
ABC15 got a first look at the Museum of Illusions prior to its grand opening. Here’s a look at some of its most mind-bending illusions that’ll be worth a picture if you visit.
Vortex Tunnel: “A favorite exhibit here at the museum is the Vortex Tunnel, and this one is an exhibit that you walk into and within the first few steps you feel as if the room is moving and spinning around you but in reality, you are on a completely flat and stable surface,” explained Stec.
Be aware, this tunnel experience may throw off your balance when walking.
Ames Room: “This [exhibit] was created by an American ophthalmologist and psychologist, Adelbert Ames. Now, when you walk into this room- guests appear to grow and shrink as they walk from one corner to the next,” said Stec. “The interesting thing is that when you’re here in person you can see that the room is completely distorted, however, the camera cannot capture the distortion of the room, so it looks like you're standing in a normal square room- but growing and shrinking.”
Kaleidoscope: There are lots of mirrors in this museum and this installation is a HUGE kaleidoscope where you can essentially make movements to create new patterns as you snap a picture!
Head on a platter: “In this exhibit, guests can go inside and appear to have their head completely severed and on a plate — but it is all an illusion. I promise no heads are getting cut off here,” confirmed Stec.
Clone table: Ever wanted to yourself in multiples? Well, take a seat- this installation allows you to experience just that.
Swap noses: “So this is where you line up with a partner and you swap different parts of your faces based on how this mirror is created,” explained Stec. “You can get some pretty wild photos from [this exhibit] too.”
IF YOU GO
- Grand opening: Saturday, March 11, at 9 a.m.
- Hours of operation: every day from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Location: 9500 East Via de Ventura in Scottsdale
- Cost: According to Stec, ticket prices start at $17.95 for children and they go up to $24 for adults. There are discounts available for seniors and military as well. “We do highly recommend booking tickets online ahead of time, we do time entries and tickets may not be available at the door,” explained Stec.
