You’ve sailed out to the Statue of Liberty, clip-clopped around Central Park in a horse drawn carriage and biked the Brooklyn Bridge. Now you’re looking for something a bit non-traditional to do the next time you are in New York City. How about one of the many immersive experiences the city offers? From amazing artwork to sky-high sights to international intrigue and more – check out our top picks for immersive experiences in NYC below!
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Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit New York
Billed as the largest Van Gogh exhibit in the world this new way of experiencing the infamous Dutch post-impressionist painter Vincent Van Gogh’s work does not disappoint and has been selling out and extending its presence in major cities around the globe. Created by world-renewed digital artist Massimiliano Siccardi, Immersive Van Gogh is a new way of taking in artwork in that it combines the paintings with a vibrant light and sound show that includes experimental electronic music combined with traditional piano. Displayed in three separate spaces – or halls – throughout the venue, the exhibit is a way of allowing spectators to “step inside” Van Gogh’s masterpieces via 60,600 frames of video, 90,000,000 pixels and 500,000 plus cubic feet of projections. Bonus – Tony Award nominated, and Emmy Award-winning Broadway set designer David Korins (Hamilton and Dear Evan Hanson are just two little projects of his you may have heard of – wink, wink) was brought on board for his interior design expertise and adds unique creations that you won’t find elsewhere.
Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience
Art fans – and Van Gogh fans in particular – are certainly getting spoiled here in the Big Apple! This Van Gogh experience presented by Exhibition Hub, a curator of exhibitions and immersive edutainment (education + entertainment) experiences worldwide, along with leading global entertainment discovery platform Fever – combines lights and sounds like its predecessor, but also adds a unique virtual reality experience along with an artist’s table to try your hand at the craft. With 360 degree projections and 15,000 foot tall and wide screens it likens itself to “stepping into a paining” – which is like heaven on earth for art aficionados. And that virtual reality element? It’s spending a day in the life of the painter and has been described as “mind-blowing.” There is also a chance to bring out your inner artist – thanks to section where you can take a seat at a table set up to help you create your own little masterpiece – which will be a breeze thanks to all the inspiration you will get after viewing Van Goghs work!
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt
New York City’s newest observation deck is not just a fabulous way to view the city from dizzying heights – it’s also an immersive experience unlike no other that can be broken down into four parts. First there is Air – a multi-floor walkthrough art event complete with mirrored floors and ceilings that – along with the floor to ceiling windows – immediately has visitors turned almost upside down – but in the most exciting of ways. Created by famed artist Kenzo Digital, this is certainly not your grandparent’s art exhibit! Then there is Ascent – the glass elevator to end all glass elevators, as this one takes you up to the highest part of the One Vanderbilt –on the outside of the skyscraper. Needless to say, this is not for the faint of heart. And neither is the next part – Levitation – which are transparent skyboxes that have you hovering 1,000 feet above Midtown Manhattan. And finally, when hunger and / or thirst strike – there is Après – complete with an outdoor open air area as well as an indoor dining section – both with those magnificent NYC views.
Spyscape
Connect with your inner James Bond – or Maxwell Smart – in this engaging adventure designed to uncover the superhero in all of us. From your initial briefing – aka introduction into the minds of those people who live to uncover top secret information – to your journey through the fascinating Challenge Zones of Encryption, Deception, Surveillance and Special Ops – to your ultimate debriefing – where your skills and potential are assessed – you’ll be delightfully challenged, intrigued and inspired with each step. You can even find out how you stacked up against family, friends and both fictional and non-fictional spies and superheroes. But there’s more! When you’ve completed your mission there’s a spine tingling state of the art museum of all things “spy” to check out that includes everything you were exposed to in the Challenge Zones – but via real life tales of each from the spies who lived them. Designed by a former Head of Training at British Intelligence, Spyscape brings the exploration of espionage to an exciting level and is likely to become one of your favorite immersive experiences in NYC – or anywhere for that matter!
RiseNY
This brand new experience takes the views that all of New York City’s observation decks boast to new heights – pun intended. Not only will you get a bird’s eye view of New York City from high above it – you’ll be soaring across it as well thanks to the Big Apple’s first flight simulation ride. What can you expect? Your RiseNY escapade starts out with a fascinating film by Ric Burns, an award winning documentarian. Next you will wonder through a series of galleries – each representing a different part of what makes NYC the captivating city it is, including music, fashion, theater and even skylines. And the grand finale? Strapped in a seat thirty feet in the air with your legs dangling as you fly above all five boroughs, at certain times this amusement park type ride will have you feeling higher than the tallest building in NYC and at other times like you are walking the city’s sidewalks. And thanks to strobe lights, loud sounds, wind, and scents you will feel like you are actually right there in the thick of it all!
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As far as immersive experiences go – I would say that the immersive experiences in NYC would give any other major U.S. city a run for their money. And as far as a fabulous team of destination experts that can help you with admission to these amazing adventures – as well as accommodations, private tours, transfers and more – I would say that the crew at Beyond Times Square would give any other luxury tour operator a run for their money as well! So, what are you waiting for? Give them a call and get one or all five of these incredible experiences on the books for 2022!
