A new breed of London venues are taking the "immersive experience" to whole new, Instagrammable heights.
For years, half the attractions in London have described themselves as an "immersive experience". It's become a cliché. Usually, it just means you get to move around a bit, rather than passively sitting in a theatre or cinema. Now, though, a new crop of attractions has emerged that really do put you at the centre of the action. Projection mapping, mirrored rooms, sophisticated audio and mind-bending visual trickery are the tools of the trade.
Below, we've rounded up some of the best offerings in London, all of which are family friendly. Prices refer to standard adult tickets, though most venues offer discounts or family deals. See individual sites for details.
Bubble Planet
22 Fulton Road, HA9 0TF
From £17.90
We start, for alphabetical reasons, with perhaps the most unusual immersive experience of them all: an attraction built entirely around bubbles. Bubble Planet features a series of 10 rooms of novelty spheroidal activities. Float through the Bubble Ocean, Bubble Bath, Infinity Room, Giant Bubble, and inevitable Selfie Room. The venue is designed to appeal to all ages, and is very family friendly. Catch it before the bubble pops.
Frameless
6 Marble Arch, W1H 7AP
From £27
Imagine you could step into a famous painting. That's the premise of Frameless, which uses projection mapping and intricate audio production to bring the world's most celebrated works of art to life. Across four galleries, you'll step through Old Masters and modern masterpieces alike, all animated and blown up to epic proportions.
Lightroom London
12 Lewis Cubitt Square, N1C 4DY
From £25
For many, the best immersive experience at the back of King's Cross is the dancing fountains in Granary Square. But while some are playing in the gutter, others are looking to the stars. Around the corner is Lightroom, a souped-up cinema that most recently projected Apollo Moon landing footage across the all four walls of its venue. A wraparound Hockney show played out last year, and dinosaurs are coming in 2025 — showing the versatility of the attraction. Even if you don't have a ticket, Lightroom's cafe-bar is a good space to know about.
Moco Museum
1-4 Marble Arch, W2 2UH
£15.90
Yes, Moco Museum is a modern art gallery, but the basement is entirely given over to digital and immersive art. The absolute highlight for most people will be Daan van Hasselt's infinity room of mirrors, pulsing lights and low-hum music. Moco might as well plaster the walls with "Film your TikTok video here"... although that would trash the effect. Here, too, you'll find various superior works of video art, including a short film called "Species" by Six N. Five, which imposes geometric shapes onto footage of the natural world.
Paradox Museum
90 Brompton Road (opposite Harrods), SW3 1JJ
From £23
The Paradox Museum features a series of optical illusions and interactive exhibits designed to challenge perceptions and defy logic. It's a fun, family-friendly adventure — "Museum" is pushing it — that will leave you questioning reality. Exhibits include a "zero gravity room" and a tube station platform unlike any you've visited before.
Twist Museum
248 Oxford Street (just west of Oxford Circus), W1C 1DH
From £19.50
What's all this? A museum devoted to little orphan boy Oliver Twist? Nothing so Dickensian. Described as "A playground for the mind," the Twist Museum is an interactive exploration of optical illusions and our different ways of perceiving the world. They've got some proper smarts in there, with input from neuroscientists to explain how our brains can be tricked. But really it's one big interactive mind boggle geared up for an Instagram audience.
Outernet London
Charing Cross Road (right next to Tottenham Court Road tube) WC2H 8LH.
FREE
Immersive attractions can get a bit spendy. Not the Outernet. This multi-room temple of light and sound just below Centre Point is entirely free, and you can simply wander in off the street any time you like. The main space, called the Now Building, is filled wall-to-ceiling with beguiling video art. Further areas contain smaller screens (still huge), with a whole video-lined alleyway to the south.
We were sceptical when it first opened in 2023. Would this simply be an indoor Piccadilly Circus with gaudy advertising? The place does have its promotional side but, on the whole, the commissioned artworks are a sight to behold. So much so that the Outernet now reckons to be the most-visited cultural attraction in the UK. Bring the kids along, and you could be in there quite a while.
Van Gogh The Immersive Experience
106 Commercial Street (opposite Spitalfields Market), E1 6LZ
From £18
Something of a pioneer of immersive art, the Van Gogh experience has been touring since 2017 and boasts over 5 million visitors. As with Frameless, you get to walk through embiggened, 360 degree versions of masterpieces which, this time, all come from the same artistic genius. The experience also includes a series of extra rooms where you can learn about Van Gogh's techniques, and don a VR headset to "experience a day in his life".
Londonist's Hands-on Immersive Spectacle
In our kitchen
Free
London's leading attraction for anyone who enjoys predictable visual gags. For the VIP experience, we'll even throw in a joke comparing this place to Frameless.
