Experience the impossible Museum of Illusions® New York

The Museum of Illusions offers an intriguing visual, sensory, and educational experience, combining science, art, and fun. It's designed to trick your eyes and challenge your brain's perception of the world.

Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars

Address: 77 8th Ave, New York, NY 10014 (Located in the Chelsea/West Village area of Manhattan)

Approximate Visit Time: 60–90 minutes

Key Exhibits and Experience
The museum features over 50 hands-on exhibits and installations that encourage visitors to interact and become part of the illusion. Highlights include:

Ames Room: A classic illusion where a person standing in one corner appears to grow or shrink dramatically when moving to another.

Vortex Tunnel: A cylindrical walkway with spinning lights that makes you feel dizzy and disoriented, even though the bridge itself is flat and stable.

Infinity Room: A mirrored room that creates the visual effect of an endless, sprawling space.

Tilted Room: A room built on an incline that completely messes with your sense of gravity and balance.

Holograms and Optical Illusions: A collection of images and displays that play tricks on your vision and perception.

The experience is perfect for families, friends, or anyone looking for a fun, photo-heavy outing. Staff members are often available to help visitors get the best possible photos in the trickier installations.

Hours of Operation
The museum is open daily. The general hours are:

Monday – Thursday: 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM

Friday – Sunday: 10:00 AM – 11:00 PM

My friends and I visited New York from Tennessee for Thanksgiving and visited Museum of Illusions on November 26th. Me and one of my other friends have visited this museum before but decided to go again so our other friend could experience it. The staff were very friendly and helpful and even assisted us with taking photos and answering our questions. Additionally, all three of us are educators in Tennessee and were able to experience this museum free of charge. This visit was definitely better than the first one. Would recommend everyone to visit. Thank you so very much Museum of Illusions staff for a wonderful experience, you are appreciated!

Visited the Museum of Illusions in NYC and it’s absolutely worth it. The exhibits are well thought out, interactive, and do a good job of pulling you in rather than just being something you walk past. It’s the kind of place where you actually do things — not just look. You end up talking, laughing, double-checking your eyes, and trying to figure out how the visuals are messing with your sense of space. Good mix of fun and clever.

The layout flows well, it doesn’t feel cramped, and there’s enough variety to keep adults just as engaged as kids. Staff keeps things smooth — Terrell in particular was solid, helped make sure we understood a couple of the setups and pointed out angles we would’ve missed, without hovering.

Overall: clean, organized, interactive, and actually memorable. Easy recommendation.