Scream, run and have fun at this museum in Dubai

Unlike classical museums, visitors are encouraged to interact with the exhibits and take as many photos during their visual, sensual and educational adventure. - Photos by Neeraj Murali

Dubai - The main highlight is The Vortex Tunnel that gets visitors dizzy as they walk into a rotating cylinder.

By Sherouk Zakaria

Published: Sun 9 Sep 2018, 9:30 PM

Last updated: Mon 10 Sep 2018, 9:30 AM

Residents and tourists can now 'scream, run and have fun' while enjoying mind-blowing tricks and illusions as they step into a museum in Dubai.
Located in a corner of the old buildings down Dubai Creek's Al Seef, the Museum of illusions opened to the public on Sunday bringing over 80 optical and sensory illusions that combine fun elements with educational experiences.
Through the interactive museum, visitors can share some laughter as they entertain their eyes and learn how the brain works as they go into different rooms of optical illusions and sensory games.
The main highlight is The Vortex Tunnel that gets visitors dizzy as they walk into a rotating cylinder that tricks the brain into thinking that the ground is shifting.
Another highlight is the Clone, which allows people to sit at a table to see five clones of themselves, while the Ames Room, a particular Instagram-friendly spot, enables two guests to shrink or grow depending on their position in a life-size optical illusion that plays on depth distance and varying sizes.
The museum's owner Dr Mohammed Al Wahaiba said the attraction allows visitors to learn about vision, perception, the human brain and science through exhibits that highlight how and why our eyes see things that our brain does not understand.
"The new attraction brings together science, mathematics, biology and psychology to create a truly sensory experience that defies logic," he said.
As people step out the interactive games and tricks, they will be able to see wall illusions that play tricks on their eyes including collage of indented Albert Einstein heads, called Hollow Faces, that stalks visitors with their strangely moving gazes, and captivating holograms.
In the coming weeks, the museum will also house a full-time magician to entertain visitors as they move through and give even more tricks to explore.
"Everyone who visits, from three to 99 years old, will have something to enjoy and experience at the museum," said Al Wahaiba.
Although it would take 45 to 60 minutes for visitors to explore the 450-square metre venue, Varvara Svishcheva, the museum's manager said people can stay as long as they want.
Unlike 'classical' museums, visitors are encouraged to interact with the exhibits and take as many photos during their visual, sensual and educational adventure. "There are no rules here. We would say interact with the illusions, scream, run and just have fun," said Svishcheva.
Museum of Illusions Dubai is the biggest permanent branch of eight others worldwide, with six more openings slated for Canada, Athens, New York, Toronto and Berlin. The first Museum of Illusions opened in the Croatian capital of Zagreb in 2015.

Know the Museum of illusions

>What: 80 visual and sensory illusions that trick the eyes and entertain the mind
>Where: Al Seef By Meraas, Dubai Creek.
>Opening hours: 10am-10pm from Sunday to Wednesday, and 10am-12am on weekends and public holidays.
>Price: Dh80 for adults above 16 and Dh60 for children. Free entry for children below 5.
>Family packages: Dh225 for two adults and two children.

KT NANO EDIT

No room for dullness
There's never a dull moment in Dubai. It is all courtesy the city's ever expanding gamut of offerings that stretch the boundaries of imagination and hard work to entertain people, and keep the buzz alive. From indoor skies, to magnificent fountains, safari, and more, urban spaces in Dubai cannot be labelled as concrete jungles. They are mélanges of experiments that excite creativity and make life more entertaining. Cheers for the latest addition in the city of innovations.
sherouk@khaleejtimes.com