Why Families Should Check Out Boston’s Immersive Van Gogh Experience

1. Kids Can Learn about Van Gogh

By the time you exit the experience, you’ll have seen nearly 300 digital projections of Van Gogh’s sketches, drawings and paintings, but it all starts with learning about Van Gogh’s life, influences and recognizable technique. We recommend downloading the app to get the most out of the exhibit rooms that focus on the artist. Wall placards aside, the QR codes take visitors to historical tidbits, personal notes and other intriguing facts and puts them in the palm of your hand. Plus, handing your device off to your little art lover (a.k.a. the official code scanner) gives kids a way to interact during this (mostly) static part of the experience.

2. Kids Become Part of the Art

Kids will love the 3-D effects they’ll find along the way, too, like Van Gogh’s head and The Vases. When they make it to The Bedroom at Arles, they can sit in the painting and pose for parents. And if you’re wondering what the light cameras on the ground are for, they guide visitors to the perfect spot to take Insta-worthy shots.

3. It's a Full-Sensory Experience

The most talked about part of the experience is the 360-room. A sensory-igniting area, it's the place where floor-to-ceiling animated art projections allow families to “step into a living painting.” Beyond the visual effects that make sunflowers float to the ceiling, crabs crawl across walls and wagons mosey along haystack-lined roads, kids will love the sound effects, music and playful floor projections that draw in Van Gogh fans of all ages.

While parents and big kids will appreciate sitting down on nearby benches and chairs to listen to the narration, tots will love the freedom of the space. They can chase the floor projections, darting from one spot to the next, as scenes change. Tiny dancers will love strutting their stuff when the music starts and the spirit moves them. But kids may also enjoy finding a seat and marveling at the spectacle that surrounds them. 

4. Turning Inspiration into Art is Easy

If being surrounded by Van Gogh’s visually stunning creations has you itching to create something yourself, there’s an area to sit down and do just that beyond the immersive room. Here kids and parents can color one of Van Gogh’s famous works of art, adding their own touches. Finally! Time to sit and color with your kiddo. Crayons and hand sanitizer are the tools at your disposal. When you’re finished, project your work into a digital frame at the “Paint with Vincent” station. Kids can line up the picture, press the red button and watch their work magically appear on the screen in front of them. What a thrill! Take your artwork home or hang it on the wall for others to enjoy.

5. Families Can Take a Virtual Walk with the Artist

The final piece of the experience is the VR presentation of “A Day in the Life of the Artist.” Once you put on the headset, you’ll be transported to the French countryside where a simple stroll turns into a learning experience. It’s a chance to hear intriguing stories behind some of Van Gogh’s most iconic paintings. The VR experience lasts 10 minutes, and is included in the VIP package. Families can also add it on day-of for $5 each. We’re guessing big kids will jump at the chance to try this out—because, VR. And if you’ve got younger kiddos with you, consider a tag team approach with your parenting partner—you definitely won’t be able to keep an eye on roaming kids with the headset on. The sets are recommended for kids ages 6 and up.

Parent Planning Tools:

1. Plan a little over an hour, give or take, for the experience. This will give you enough time to watch the presentation in the immersion room, sit and color for a while and then dive into the VR experience, without feeling too hurried.

2. If you want to avoid the crowds (and save some money too!), get tickets for a mid-week time slot.

3. The experience is super stroller-friendly so bring one along for antsy toddlers or non-walkers. Babies in carriers are easy too. Who knows—your little bundle may even sleep through the exhibit!

4. Remember to check out the COVID policies and cleaning protocols so you know what to expect when visiting with kids. Staying socially distant, wearing masks and hand sanitizer stations are all part of the protocol here.