Paradox Museum Miami takes guests through a 21st-century funhouse of mind-boggling illusions

Art gallery, science exhibition, and 21st-century funhouse, Paradox Museum Miami takes guests on a tour through optical illusions and other enigmas geared for the age of Instagram. The 11,000 square-foot (1,000 square-meter) museum, housed in Miami’s trendy Wynwood arts and entertainment district, features more than 70 exhibits that challenge the imagination, executive director Samantha Impellizeri said. “It ebbs and flows between periods of highly tactile and interactive exhibit pieces and fully immersive photo opportunities where you yourself become the paradox and walk away with some really fun and unique social media content," Impellizeri said. Paradox Museum has more than a dozen locations throughout North America, Europe and Asia. “Each paradox is uniquely tied to its community,” Impellizeri said. “So as you walk throughout the experience, you’ll notice different themes and art installations that directly reflect not only Miami but the Wynwood community specifically." Many of the exhibits at Paradox Museum harken back to old carnival funhouses, like the mirror maze, the spinning tunnel and the upside-down room. The difference is that Paradox Museum explains the math and science behind each illusion. “We’re a top field trip destination for pre-K all the way up through college students,” Impellizeri said. “We have a full curriculum of educational activities to do before, during and after the visit to expand upon that educational scope.” Like any museum, Paradox Museum plans to update its exhibits to keep visitors coming back. “We’re not going to be the same space in a year to three years from now," Impellizeri said. "We’ll be engaging with new technology and layering additional discoveries on top of it.” Paradox Museum is part of a large trend of immersive art experiences opening all over the world this past decade. “Immersive experiences around the world are increasing in popularity and popping up more and more,” Impellizeri said. ”And it’s exciting to see that this trend of interactive and immersive experiences taking off that allows guests to become part of the art, part of the installation itself." This article was provided by The Associated Press.