Mirrors, holograms, height, elevation, levitation and much more – This is what you can feel when you visit the Museum of Illusions, which will open at the end of August in Tel Aviv.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
The idea to establish such a museum came from two Croatian entrepreneurs, Roko Zivkovic and Tomislav Pamukovic. Together with American businessman Jonathan Cooper they made the museum into an international success.
"It all started when Roko and Tomislav were on a family trip to the Science Museum in Scotland in 2015," Cooper told Israel Hayom.
"They found the museum's illusions section very interesting. So they took the general idea, worked on it for a year and a half, developing it. They built illusions in their living room, testing them. When they had enough they opened a small museum in Croatia. They spent all their saving on it, but it was a success from the very beginning.
"In the first few weeks tens of thousands of visitors arrived, as did I with my family. We enjoyed it so much we realized we had to help expand it. It was clear to me it was a concept that would work everywhere. We started in Vienna and Dubai, and by now we are in many cities in the world."
Q: And now it's coming to Israel.
"We are very excited about coming to Tel Aviv for the first time. I have visited Israel several times in the past, together with my wife."
Q: How does the museum function during the pandemic?
"We had to close our museums worldwide, and spent a year developing safety protocols to enable visitors to have a safe experience. No doubt, the pandemic is worrying, and the museum is adapting to it. As of now, wearing a mask is mandatory in the museum, and disinfection stations are placed everywhere. Every 10 minutes the sections are cleaned. We also added filters to the ventilation and limited the number of visitors."
Q: Which is the most popular set in the museum?
"The four-meter-long vortex tunnel. You enter by walking on a bridge in a straight line, but then suddenly the ceiling and walls around you start revolving. It's as if you are spinning. There is also a room where depending on where you stand your height varies.
"In some parts, it seems like you are very short, in others, you are a giant. This is one of the sets that children love the most, because they can find angles in which they look huge and their parents tiny."
Q: Is there an age limit in the museum?
"The range is very wide. From 3 to 99. About 70% of our visitors are adults, and many teenagers with friends, and also families. It truly suits everyone."
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
