Canberra, Australia — Imagine standing in Pompeii as Mount Vesuvius erupts, the ground trembling beneath your feet as a pyroclastic flow races toward you. This harrowing scene is part of an immersive experience offered at the National Museum of Australia, where visitors travel back nearly two millennia within the museum’s walls. Amid the rising popularity of such immersive exhibits, museums across the globe are integrating advanced virtual reality and other technological innovations to transform the way history and science are presented to the public.
These high-tech installations are redefining the traditional museum experience, attracting large audiences and pushing boundaries of how exhibitions engage their visitors. Laurent Dondey, who leads development for Grand Palais Immersif, the French company hosting the Pompeii exhibit, acknowledges the mixture of art and science that technology brings to museums. “It introduces a new dimension to the learning experience, which is not only informative but also enjoyable,” Dondey explained.
Indeed, the spectacle is magnetic. The Pompeii exhibit runs its dramatic eruption every 15 minutes, with ticket prices including this immersive feature. However, such experiences are not without higher costs. For example, Sydney’s Australian Museum featured an exhibition on Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs, where a VR experience added an extra $30 per person, sharply increasing the total cost for families.
Kim McKay, Director of the Australian Museum, champions these technological infusions as essential to modern museums. “Museums must evolve with technology. We can’t remain static, tethered to old interpretations and displays,” McKay stated. She stressed that while maintaining an authentic connection to history, museums must adapt to contemporary expectations, including the digital demands of younger generations.
Several successful Australian Museum exhibitions, such as the Machu Picchu and Golden Empires of Peru exhibit, have included immersive experiences, confirming a prevailing trend in the museum industry worldwide. Yet this approach has not only drawn crowds but also criticism regarding the shifting focus from traditional exhibits to high-tech displays, which some fear may overshadow the actual artifacts.
Dr. Chiara O’Reilly, director of the museum and heritage program at the University of Sydney, notes the dichotomy these innovations create. “While immersive technology often enriches the visitor experience, providing context and vibrancy to exhibits, there’s a valid concern about the rising costs and the possible distraction from the actual artifacts,” she said.
O’Reilly’s observations extend to the expectation of museum visitors, particularly younger demographics accustomed to high-definition visuals and interactive content from video games and digital media. “There’s a pressing demand for museums to keep pace with rapidly advancing technology to cater to this tech-savant audience,” she added.
Despite concerns, feedback suggests a nuanced visitor expectation. For instance, when the Australian Museum surveyed 100 children about their vision for future museums, the responses leaned heavily towards more tangible, real-world exhibits like wildlife, countering assumptions that digital experiences are the sole interest of younger audiences.
This integration of immersive technologies within museums points to a broader trend toward experiential learning, where engagement and entertainment play vital roles in educational missions. As museums worldwide grapple with these changes, the push and pull between innovation and tradition continue to shape the future of museum experiences, indicating a complex but exciting path forward in the evolution of educational exhibits.