Atlanta museum offers 'Illusions' of sight, sound and mind

November 17th, 2023

The Museum of Illusions offers a variety of exhibits that challenge their visitors to open their minds and ears to various illusions to be found at every corner (Courtesy of Museum of Illusions)

Among the many attractions that have greeted Atlanta residents since its opening this summer is the Museum of Illusions.

Located at Atlantic Station in Midtown, the museum challenges visitors to dive into the depths of their imagination. Atlanta is the latest location of the Museum of Illusions family and the future site of the U.S. headquarters for the company.

Renee Cooper, marketing manager for the Atlanta exhibition, spoke with WABE on some of the museum’s most remarkable sights.

Do you believe in magic?

The Atlanta location, the latest out of 40 locations worldwide, has over 80 exhibits.

Cooper says it was no mystery as to why they wanted to open up the Museum of Illusions in Atlanta.

“Atlanta is a wonderful space for locals and tourists to be able to find great attractions, and this was just another stop to make sure that we had a great audience that would be interested in this type of attraction,” she said.

The company has chosen the city to be the future home for the U.S. headquarters of Illusions, which hopes to bring its overall location count to 100 by the year 2026.

Picture Perfect

The Museum of Illusions opened in May.

“We have visitors coming every day of all ages, and what’s really exciting is that we appeal to all ages,” Cooper said, noting the number of visitors who come for family nights and date nights.

“It’s a great experience for couples to go together to take pictures, and great talking points … families like it [because] there is a lot of room for younger children to engage with the exhibits, be on the museum floor to touch and look at [exhibits],” she added.

Cooper also said the location has quickly grown a following on social media apps such as Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok.

“We absolutely can thank social media for our extended visibility and the outreach that’s happened, as well as all of the visitors coming through,” she said. “We’re really excited for everyone who’s taken photos and videos and tagged us, because it has just shown how much of a unique and wonderful experience it is to visit, and people want to be a part of that.”

Cooper said that a favorite photo opp for many visitors is the “upside-down diner.” At least, that’s what it appears to be at first glance.

“We put a diner experience and bolted the seats, and the tables and the jukebox and the door to the ceiling, so it looks like when you take a photo, you are standing on the ceiling, you just turn the photo upside down,” she said.

Law of Attractions

When deciding which exhibits would be a part of the museum’s Atlanta location, which to date is the company’s largest worldwide, Cooper said architects developed and designed the facility to give visitors something unexpected to look forward to and learn about.

Cooper said one of the most popular exhibitions in the attraction is The Tilted Room. The experience showcases a room with a mirror and an upward-slanted floor, with artwork and logos placed throughout the space, helping trick the visitor into thinking they should be standing upright.

Cooper’s personal favorite exhibit is the Kaleidoscope Room, which features a changing background reflected against mirrors.

Another exhibition Cooper notes is the Vortex Tunnel, which is a non-moving standard tunnel next to moving walls.

“It’s exciting and an opportunity for visitors don’t get to see every day,” she said, adding that the venue still has a lot more in store in upcoming months.

“[We want] to create the perfect experience for our visitors to come through.”