Pittsburgh’s new Museum of Illusions is ready to amaze (and teach) your kids

Photos by Ted Anthony.

Pittsburgh has a new attraction that’s perfect for families with curious kids — especially bigger kids with the patience to discover the science and psychology behind a slew of eye-popping visual tricks. At the Museum of Illusions, now open on the North Side, kids and grownups will find plenty of surprises and a chance to unpack some of the ways that things are not always what they seem.

The Museum of Illusions opened first in Europe and now has more than 40 locations across 25 countries and four continents. The Pittsburgh outpost is the newest one and it’s unlike anything else you’ll find in the area.

It takes about an hour to explore the many exhibits (a total of more than 80, though a few are multiple version of a single type of illusion). After you have the fun of experiencing them, that’s when you begin to understand what’s really happening: Each illusion is fully explained in both English and Spanish.

For kids (and grownups) navigating a world full of Photoshopped marketing images and increasingly persuasive advertising, it’s pretty fantastic to spend a few hours discussing these visual illusions as a family.

There are also plenty of chances to take unexpected, Instagram-worthy photos. We won’t spoil all the surprises, but you’ll find visual tricks that make it appear as though you are:

Dangling from the ledge of a building…

Defying gravity…

And even being served up on a platter…

Beginning Dec. 21, the Museum of Illusions is open daily on North Shore Drive between PNC Park and Acrisure Stadium. Tickets are $25 for ages 13 through adult, $20 for ages 5-12 and free for kids 4 and younger. Get details here.