On Saturday, March 11th, the Museum of Illusions Scottsdale (MOI) in Scottsdale, Arizona opened its doors to the public. Adults and kids – especially those who have outgrown the children’s museum – are sure to enjoy this fascinating world of illusions where nothing is quite as it seems.
“It’s really an all-ages space,” said Stacy Stec, the museum’s marketing and sales director. “We are in Arizona Boardwalk, Scottsdale’s premier family-friendly entertainment center. But we’re not just for families and children. We have a lot of adults, Gen Z and millennials looking for something unique and different to do. This is something they’ve really not experienced before.”
The first Museum of Illusions debuted in Zagreb, Croatia in 2015. Since then, the Museum of Illusions has expanded around the world with over 40 locations, including in Europe and Asia. In the U.S. there are museums in Chicago and Philadelphia, with locations in Las Vegas and Boston opening later in 2023.
MOI Scottsdale is at the Arizona Boardwalk, a center with activities, attractions, restaurants and shops. This is a great area for getting out to have some fun and create memories.
What sets the museum apart from anything else in Scottsdale is that it offers ‘edutainment’ – the coming together of education and entertainment.
Aside from family and friends, the museum is a marvelous place to bring groups of people. Book a group visit for team building with colleagues or a class field trip.
“You will learn about optical illusions, vision and perception,” said Stec, a member of the ownership team, mother of three children, and former elementary teacher. “This is an especially great place for a field trip to engage students in STEM learning. It really immerses students in that realm of science and makes it fun for them.”
Because this is a highly interactive museum, it’s recommended that visitors wear comfortable clothes and shoes to easily move around in.
Some of the most popular exhibits are the museum’s immersive rooms. Visitors can step into these spaces and become part of the illusion. Immersive rooms offer unique photo ops to capture Instagram-worthy pictures to share with others.
Experience these exhibits
The Ames Room is an immersive room named after American ophthalmologist and psychologist Adelbert Ames. The space is an experiment in forced perspective. Visitors appear to grow – and shrink – as they walk from one corner of the room to the other, resulting in hilarious photos. “It’s a completely distorted room but the camera just doesn’t show you that,” said Stec.
The Kaleidoscope Exhibit turns visitors into the inspiration for psychedelic patterns in extreme multiplicity. This installation gives participants the opportunity to generate something new and beautiful with every movement they make. One could be occupied with this exhibit for hours and still not see the same image, which is part of the allure.
The Symmetry Room is a space in which visitors can create a symmetrical reflection of themselves in the craziest poses (such as sitting cross-legged – in the air!). Teens and young adults who can’t get enough of TikTok and its myriad of filters and effects will love this.
See for yourself what seems to be going on at the Museum of Illusions Scottsdale.
The museum hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tickets are $24 for adults (ages 13+), $17.95 for children (ages 3-12), and $22 for seniors and members of the military with a military ID.