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Opening a museum in a COVID-19 world

Posted  3 years ago  by  Museum of Illusions Stacy Stec

2 MIN READ – It’s all about perspective at the Museum of Illusions, and we took that message to heart when we decided to move forward with opening our doors downtown in the Chicago Loop in a COVID-19 environment. In this guest blog, we will outline why and how we made the decision to move forward with our opening plans.


The Museum of Illusions will open in Chicago at 25 E. Washington Street later this fall. The museum started as a unique project in Zagreb, Croatia, and soon became one of the fastest growing education and entertainment attractions in the world, with locations in more than 18 cities around the globe. We offer interactive, immersive, and exciting experiences for all ages – whether you’re on a family outing, date night, or showing your friends around the city – everyone is sure to love Museum of Illusions. Our exhibits will teach you about vision, perception, and the human brain so you can begin to understand why your eyes are seeing something your brain cannot process – all while experiencing countless photo-worthy moments.

We are thrilled to bring the Museum of Illusions to Chicago – a vibrant city bursting with things to do and see. The arrival of COVID-19 has complicated much of this recently, but when deciding whether to postpone our Chicago opening or move forward, we adopted the perspective that it’s better to be proactive in a pandemic than reactive. While it can be difficult for many industries to pivot in a way that keeps patrons safe, many have succeeded in reinventing and restructuring their business so they can safely open. We feel lucky that from the very beginning we have been able to design our museum in a way that puts people and their health first.

We want to ensure that our guests’ time at the Museum of Illusions is stress-free and fun. Like all local businesses that have reopened, our safety standards have been created in accordance with CDC and local government guidelines; mandatory masks, maximum cleaning, temperature checks, hand sanitizing stations, social distancing, and reduced capacity are a given. But we’re taking some extra steps, the most significant being the installation of our hospital-grade Continuous Air and Surface Pathogen Reduction (CASPR) purifying system. This system creates an advanced oxidation process consisting of hydroperoxides, superoxide-ions, and a safe low-level ozone. Together, this process eliminates 99.9% of all airborne and surface bacteria and viruses.

Now more than ever, your health and safety is a top priority. We can’t wait to welcome you all through our doors this November. Learn more about Museum of Illusions and sign up to become an MOI Insider here. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook for announcements, ticket sales, and Grand Opening information!

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