Eight years after Croatian businessmen Roko Zivkovic and Tomislav Pamukovic came up with the idea for the Museum of Illusions, it has expanded to AZ Boardwalk.
Located near Cyber Quest Arcade, the 36th museum location is the largest at 5,700 square feet. It has 60 exhibits and each offers a unique optical illusion and distorts the senses of the guests.
“The Museum of Illusions is a franchise and we have a lot of tried and true exhibits that are favorites in every city we go to,” says Stacy Stec, spokesperson for the museum.
“We wanted to include them, but because we’re the newest museum, we also have brand new exhibits that aren’t actually in any of the museums. We have a brand new immersive room called the RGB array which tests how colors change what we see and we also have a mirage illusion which creates a mirage of an object floating in front of you but there really is no objects floating in front of you. It is completely a mirage.
The museum opened March 11 to much fanfare and families celebrating spring break. It was originally slated to debut in November, but the destination has been plagued by supply chain delays and the nationwide shortage of construction workers.
“After things changed, the first time around, we were really trying to get here before the Super Bowl, but that changed and things were a little out of our control,” she recalled.
“Then the goal was to try to open before spring break because spring training is such a popular time here. It’s a popular time for tourists and locals to be here and look for things to do.
Now that the museum is finally open, Stec believes the museum will add a new element of entertainment to the AZ Boardwalk entertainment destination.
“Our museum is a bit more science and psychology based – which makes us a really exciting destination for schools and people looking for a bit more meat behind the concept,” says Stec.
“We seek to teach people about these optical illusions, vision and perception and the human brain as they experience these illusions.”
At the Museum of Illusions, visitors are diverse, she says.
“We attract a lot of different demographics,” says Stec. “We attract a lot of students, couples who come for a date, groups of adults who come for fun or for corporate events. We’re really excited to kind of change that dynamic here.
Stec says the museum will also bring a new kind of experience to AZ Boardwalk, offering golden backgrounds for selfies.
“We’re a very visual museum and we find that a lot of people hear about us and get to know us on Instagram or TikTok,” she says.
“They also want to come and check. It’s a really cool aspect that we’ve been able to tie this into our exhibits.
Although some exhibits can be disorienting, the Museum of Illusions has trained its staff to be diligent with its guests and to enforce safety while allowing them to enjoy themselves.
“Guest experience is our top priority here and we strive to provide each guest with a personalized and top-notch experience here at the museum,” says Stec. “We want them to have a good time, but also want them to come away having learned something new about vision or perception.”
As for the future, Stec says the museum will rotate exhibits.
“We hope to partner with local artists to bring them in and give them some style,” she adds. “Since we are permanent, we plan to do a refresh of the museum after a few years when many people have already come to experience it. We will completely change some of the immersive rooms so that people can come back and have an experience different.
Museum of illusions
9500 E. Via de Ventura, Scottsdale
moiscottsdale.com, 480-270-6640
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