Mindbending Museum: Everything It's Cracked Up To Be And More
It is such a pleasure to go to a place that is absolutely everything it is cracked up to be and more.
The new Museum of Illusions in Rosebank is all that in an hour and a bit's playground where families can enjoy warm indoor fun that is mindbending and educational. Starting from the end. The souvenir shop. Because for once there is not a line of shelves peddling branded fridge magnets, snow globes and other nonsense. Instead the Museum of Illusions has a few shelves filled with puzzles and illusion posters. And the puzzles are not the toyshop kind. These are wooden block brain teasers you can take home, figure out and do again and again. It is engaging enough for short attention spans and challenging enough for smart folk. Like the rest of the attraction, it is carefully curated and not clinical. Instead, it is warm and welcoming.
Before even getting to the illusions, the staff are important to any experience. Surly waiters make the most delicious dessert, taste sour and unfriendly assistants can dull the senses. Not here, though. There are folk constantly polishing the mirrors used in the illusions, and at every turn there is someone to explain what an exhibit is about and a person to help out with photos and family selfies. And they do it with a smile. Other museums may not like you snapping away but this one has carefully laid out and marked the best photo positions at the illusions. Visitors are allowed to touch, feel and explore everything.
For kids, this is a bonus beyond a bonus. The Museum of Illusions is exactly what it says it is. There are well over 60 illusions from photographs on the wall that change shape and perspective depending on where you are relative to the display, through to large and dizzying experiences.
The Vortex is one of the most challenging. Walk the bridge in the tunnel and try to keep your balance while it feels as if the entire room is spinning. But it is not. The walkway does not move. Only the visuals around you go round and round. Yet your body is unable to differentiate between its own movement or imbalance and that of the environment. It is a freaky feeling and if you are anything like my six and fouryearold sons, you run through the vortex multiple times. If you get dizzy and nauseous quickly once is enough or too much. There is a perspective room where, when placed at opposite sides, get the tallest person to be at the short end and your size is manipulated.
The pictures tell the story, and it is a complete mind, well, expletive. It has something to do with how the floor is slanted, but it still does not make sense entirely. Browsing through the many displays, there is an opportunity to clone yourself using mirrored illusions, to become part of a kaleidoscope and create shadows in blue, yellow and red. There is a kids' puzzle block play area where adults can try their hand at solving challenges too. One of the most fun exhibits is the side of a building. It is pure Hollywood, and you can take the selfie home. Think of action characters dangling off buildings and cliffs and this is your playground. Here, friendly assistants help to arrange you into a freakishly real scenario where, in my case, my sixyearold held my legs, dangling from a balcony and my fouryearold was clinging to my ankles for dear life.
My wife was holding onto the railings. You can act your heart out here. The louder the better. Everyone has fun. It is no wonder that the Museum of Illusions has already attracted 12 million people across the world at its other outlets.