Best Immersive Art Experience (2025) - USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards

USA Today

04-03-2025

Photo courtesy of Sensorio No. 10: Sensorio - Paso Robles, California
British artist Bruce Munro created the Sensorio "Field of Light" outdoor installation back in 2019, a nighttime field of bioluminescent flowers in the Central California wine country of Paso Robles. An immediate and huge success, this exhibition has grown to incorporate additional light creations like "Fireflies," "Gone Fishing," and "Light Towers," as well as exhibits by new artists, such as "DIMENSIONS" by HYBYCOZO. Seeing the Milky Way in the area's usually-clear night sky is often part of the transcendental experience, all of which pairs well with a glass of excellent wine.
Photo courtesy of City Museum No. 9: City Museum - St. Louis, Missouri
City Museum in St. Louis, Missouri, is home to a 10-story spiral slide, one of the world's largest jungle gyms, and a rooftop garden that offers amazing city views. Some 20 artists created the large-scale features of this interactive museum well before the term 'immersive art' became a thing.
Photo courtesy of WNDR Museum No. 8: WNDR Museum - Multiple locations
The WNDR Museum hosts immersive art and technology installations by artists, studios, and collectives from around the globe. The experience, which has locations in Chicago, San Diego, and Boston, engages multiple senses and seeks to inspire wonder, creativity, and curiosity.
Photo courtesy of Wonderspaces, by David Blakeman No. 7: Wonderspaces - Multiple locations
As an interactive and immersive art show, Wonderspaces aims to empower people to connect with art and each other. Wonderspaces collaborates with artists, arts institutions, cultural organizations, schools, and businesses to create exhibitions in places that aren't traditionally created to display art, serving those who might not otherwise seek art. Wonderspaces can be found in multiple cities such as Scottsdale and Austin, and partnering with cultural organizations, festivals, and fairs across North America.
Photo courtesy of Catie Viox No. 6: Otherworld - Multiple locations
Otherworld, an immersive art experience in Columbus, Ohio, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, offers dozens of rooms of interactive art, secret passageways, and mixed reality playgrounds. Visitors can enjoy eye-catching visuals and dazzling storytelling as they make their way through the spaces.
Photo courtesy of Dylan Johnson No. 5: Factory Obscura - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
This art collective in Oklahoma City crafts immersive experiences that 'awaken wonder, build community, and make the world better.' The 6,000-square-foot space houses rotating installations. Mix-Tape, the current experience, took nearly a year to design and install by a team of some 30 artists.
Photo courtesy of Fever No. 4: Van Gogh Exhibition: The Immersive Experience - Multiple locations
Since its inception in 2008, Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience has captured the world's imagination. Large exhibition rooms are filled with 360-degree, floor-to-ceiling projections of Van Gogh's famous works, and accompanying sound and virtual-reality headsets are available for those who desire to be more deeply submerged into the experience. This popular installation travels regularly throughout the globe, so if it comes to a city near you, don't miss it!
Photo courtesy of ARTECHOUSE No. 3: ARTECHOUSE - Multiple locations
With shows in big cities like Washington, D.C., New York City, and Houston, ARTECHOUSE creates experiences that play at the intersection of art, science, and technology. Visitors are encouraged to utilize an app that adds another layer to the experience. The app can also be used by those who can't attend in-person exhibits and would still like to enjoy their innovative art.
Photo courtesy of Kate Russell No. 2: The Real Unreal - Grapevine, Texas
A part of the Meow Wolf universe, The Real Unreal follows an ordinary family that faces extraordinary circumstances. During this adventure game, this interactive artscape will challenge your imagination as you seek clues to solve the mystery of the disappearance of the protagonist, 10-year-old Jared.