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The Museum of Illusions in Las Vegas is a mind-bending attraction that will test your sense of balance and reality. You’re probably familiar with the most famous optical illusions, but I doubt you’ve experienced them like this!
Step into the newest museum in Las Vegas and enter a world where everything is not all that it seems. From interactive displays and holograms to immersive exhibits and puzzles, the Museum of Illusions will educate and entertain visitors of all ages. Plus, there are photo opportunities galore, making this a must-see attraction in Vegas.
Below, I’ll share more about what to expect, tips for your visit, and my honest Museum of Illusions Las Vegas review.
What is the Museum of Illusions?
The Museum of Illusions is one of the newer attractions in Vegas. It’s part of the global Museum of Illusions group, which includes over 40 locations. The Museum of Illusions on the Las Vegas Strip is the largest yet, with more than 80 exhibits.
Know before you go:
- Address: 63 CityCenter, 3716 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Suite 1.02 (next to The Cosmopolitan)
- Hours: Sunday-Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; Friday & Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.
- Ticket prices: Adults (13+) $45; Kids (5-12) $38; Children 4 and under free
- Duration: 60-90 minutes
Psst! You can get $5 off your tickets to the Las Vegas Museum of Illusions if you purchase them online!
Museum of Illusions Vegas exhibits
You may be familiar with optical illusions, but this interactive Vegas museum takes it to the next level. Through images and immersive displays, the museum allows you to step into the world of this strange phenomenon, deepening your understanding of illusions while having fun along the way.
The museum reveals the science behind dozens of optical illusions through images, puzzles, installations, and room-size exhibits. There are also great photo ops, so you can capture the full effect of the illusions and show them off to friends and family back home.
Images
As you enter the Las Vegas Illusion Museum, you’ll enter a gallery of images and holograms that play tricks on your mind. You may recognize several famous optical illusions, but I’m sure you’ll find some new ones, too.
Each large-scale image includes a plaque explaining how the illusion works. I found it very interesting how the brain perceives specific shapes and patterns, making us see something that isn’t really there.
One of my favorites was the “following eyes” illusion. This portrait of a Vegas showgirl has concave eyes, but they look like they’re convex, so as you walk around, it seems her eyes are following you!
Installations
Further into the museum, there are more captivating installations. One of the most popular exhibits is the Beuchet Chair, which makes you look tiny when sitting in it. In reality, the chair is deconstructed and precisely arranged to create the illusion that you’re much smaller than everyone and everything around you.
Another installation that we had a lot of fun with is the Head on a Platter. This clever display uses mirrors to trick the brain, so you see a detached head sitting on a plate. We got a lot of laughs out of it, not to mention one of our silliest pictures from the Museum of Illusions.
Illusion rooms
The highlight of this Las Vegas museum is the optical illusion rooms. These installations are the most immersive, placing you at the center of fascinating and dizzying perceptions of reality.
For example, the Tilted Room illusion makes it seem like you’re leaning at a gravity-defying angle even though you’re actually standing up straight. Similarly, the Slanted Room has an angled floor, so when Dan stood on one side, and I stood at the other, it looked like I was a giant towering over him.
Some of the displays are more elaborate than others, while some fit with the theme of the location, like the Reverse Room with a pink Cadillac and the skyline of the Strip. How does Dan look doing a handstand on the hood of the car?
Museum of Illusions Las Vegas review – Our experience
We had a blast at the Museum of Illusions. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I quickly became intrigued by the dizzying displays. Even after learning about the science behind them, they still impressed me! The illusion rooms were so much fun, and you can be creative with posing and photographing them.
The museum staff are known as “Illusion Specialists” and can help you understand the exhibits and capture the full effect. A staff member offered to take our photo for the installations that required both Dan and me to participate, which helped a lot. They told us exactly where to stand and knew the best angles to shoot from.
You’ll get the most out of the experience if you visit with friends. The museum is for all ages, so it’s a good option if you’re looking for family-friendly attractions in Vegas. That said, you might want to be careful if you have balance issues or get motion sickness. Some of the illusions are quite a trip!
For example, the Vortex Tunnel is incredibly unsettling; it messes with your senses and makes it feel like you’ll fall over any second. It was my favorite attraction at the museum, but it might be too much for some people. Fortunately, the museum staff can tell you what to expect from each installation beforehand so you can decide whether or not to sit it out.
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Overall, we had a fantastic time at the Museum of Illusions Las Vegas, and I recommend it if you’re into things like magic, optical illusions, and brainteasers. I found the experience to be equal parts educational and entertaining!
Tips for visiting
The Museum of Illusions is worth it, for sure. Before you go, keep these tips in mind:
- Get your tickets online in advance. (you’ll save $5 on admission!)
- Take your time and read the signs to understand the science behind the illusions and get more out of the experience.
- The museum isn’t that big, so you don’t need much time to visit. Dan and I spent about an hour and a half here.
- The museum is next to The Cosmopolitan, so you can pair it with other fun attractions on the Las Vegas Strip.
- It’s more fun if you go with friends, especially since some exhibits are intended for two or more people.
- Some installations require you to move around, so wear comfortable clothes and shoes.
- Make sure you stand in the designated spots on the floor to get the full effect of the illusion and photograph it properly.
- Don’t be shy about asking a staff member to take your picture (they’re happy to help and know the best angles to shoot from).
- If you have epilepsy, vertigo, or get motion sickness, be cautious. The staff can tell you what to expect from each exhibit so you can decide whether or not to skip certain installations.
I hope you enjoyed my review of the Las Vegas Museum of Illusions. Pictures can only show so much, so I highly recommend coming here and seeing it for yourself! If you’ve been here or have visited a Museum of Illusions in another city, tell me what you thought below!