Museum of Illusions Cape Town: Inside the City’s Trippiest Attraction

Cape Town has a new museum, and it’s a goodie! As someone who likes all things quirky and unusual, this one definitely belongs on the blog. It’s the newest branch of the Museum of Illusions, and everything in it is delightfully not as it seems. Here you will find a series of optical illusions that use smoke and mirrors …well, actually just mirrors a lot of the time, to boggle your brain. It is home to 60 interactive exhibits that not only mess with your mind, but they make for some great Instagram content too!

I recently went to check it out and had an obscene amount of fun. It helps if you have no shame! But even people who can behave like normal people in public are likely to enjoy this place. And kids! Definitely take some kids. I intend to borrow some and return to see it all over again through their eyes.

Some of my Favourite Museum of Illusion Exhibits Include:

• The mirror near the entrance, which splits you down the middle and makes your one half a mirror image of the other.

• The tunnel that rotates around you and makes you feel that the bridge you are walking on is turning in circles and the walls are standing still. It is so trippy! I haven’t seen anyone manage to maintain composure on this one.  

(There's a pic but it doesn't do it justice)

• One of those pin thingies that take on the shape of whatever you press into them. Who knew they made them bigger than the size of your hand?

• There are two fun exhibits where you can look like a giant in comparison to your friend. (Bring a friend - There are staff on hand to help you take pictures.)

• There’s also an entire mirror room:

Someone’s greatest sexual fantasy, someone else’s worst nightmare.

A Distinctly South African Experience:

The first Museum of Illusions opened in Zagreb, Croatia, in 2015. The Cape Town edition is the 61st and the second in South Africa after the one in Johannesburg.  Museums of Illusions can also be found in New York, Paris, and Dubai, among other cities.

 

No two branches are exactly alike and the Museum of Illusions, Cape Town, comes with a few exhibits that acknowledge its location:

• An image of Nelson Mandela greets you at the door with his shifty eyes that follow you the whole time. (If it were a little bit closer to the gift shop, they would never have to worry about shoplifting.)

• You can stand in an upside-down Table Mountain cable car. - And then flip the picture around later if you like.

• You can scale what looks like a Bo-Kaap house facade. Spoiler: It’s actually a floor. But it was nice to be able to put my BA in drama to work.  

I think I may have to repeat this performance until I get discovered.

A Great Rainy Day Activity in Cape Town

Considering our weather can be quite unpleasant in the colder months, the Museum of Illusions makes for a great rainy-day indoor activity. And these exhibits make it one that is still distinctly "Cape Town”. 

If you're thinking of visiting, here are some answers to questions people have asked me since my visit:

Is the Museum of Illusions worth it?

Yes. Some people have commented that they feel the ticket prices are a bit steep by South African standards, but considering how many exhibits there are (over 60), and how visually impressive they are, I think it’s well-priced.

How much are tickets for the Museum of Illusions Cape Town?

Currently, tickets are R250 per person, R200 for a child (between the ages of 4 and 12). Alternatively, you can buy a family ticket for two adults and two children for R770.

* Correct at time of posting and subject to change.

What to wear to the Museum of Illusions

Wear clothes that you can be ridiculous in. If you're going to flip pictures upside down, wear your hair in a bun or an anti-gravity do. 

Does the Museum of Illusions make you dizzy?

For the most part, no. But the tunnel exhibit, definitely. There are also various exhibits with spinning wheels to trick your eyes but they are easily avoidable. 

Opening times:

The Museum of Illusions Cape Town is open seven days a week. 

Sundays to Wednesdays: 9am–8pm 

Thursdays to Saturdays: 9am–10pm (Date night idea anyone?)

Tickets are available online or at the door:

Book now at www.moicapetown.co.za.

Warning: If you’re like me, you’re about to fill up your camera roll. Since you can’t possibly delete any pics of your cat, you might have to uninstall your banking app. 

If you like quirky and unusual activities, you might also want to try these:

• The Museum of Dogs
• Cape Town’s Abandoned Groote Schuur Zoo
• The Waterfront Duck Co.
• Cape Town’s Abandoned World War II Battery and Underground Bunkers

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Related post:

Strange and unusual things to do in Cape Town

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