Those who know me personally probably know these two things about me – (1) I really like funky speciality museums, and I’d choose those over fancy old school museums any day, (2) I take a special interest in the human mind, especially biases and heuristics. Which is why the VILNIL Museum of Illusions in Vilnius was a brilliant surprise. I wasn’t sure what to expect from a museum of illusions, but turns out this is a science based museum of cognitive illusions with some of the most famous and latest in the research on visual stimuli explained and demonstrated to laypersons. I came in alone, and it was mostly empty, and the lovely girl in the reception suggested she walk me through it. I usually like to wonder on my own, but this seemed like it could benefit from a guide and she did not disappoint, very patiently taking me through the exhibit, helping me make fun of myself, and demonstrating the exhibits that work best with more than one person (see some examples below). They have some pretty funky stuff, and I’ve already vowed to myself to purchase some of these for my office.
To give you a feel for the wonderful things on display, here’s a photo walk of the museum…
Location:
Go visit if you’re in Vilnius. If you’re with kids, they’ll love this place.