Activities: Hamburg offers places of illusions

Think you've already seen a lot in Hamburg and tried out all the activities on offer? This unusual place should definitely not be missing from your adventure through the city. Between the Reeperbahn, St. Pauli and Landungsbrücken, there is a place in Hamburg that will amaze you even more and whirl through your senses. 

Immerse yourself in the world of illusions

Our Museum of Illusions is just a 5-minute walk from the main railway station. An unusual place where many things are upside down and spinning. Perhaps you've already passed it on a walk through the city? And perhaps you've also wondered what adventures are hidden behind the gates?

This indoor activity has been in Hamburg since 2018 and has already brightened up many rainy trips and conjured up fun in many a mind. 

What exactly are illusions?

If you ask our visitors this question after their stay with us, we often hear: "Illusions make me doubt my perception", "That really amazed me" or "Now I'm dizzy!". The German dictionary Duden also defines it as a "false perception of reality". In other words, we seem to see something that does not correspond to reality. For example, when an image suddenly starts to move. 

By contrast, hallucinations are things that we see even though they are not actually there. In a hallucination, external influences play a role in our perception. Imagine, for example, that you are looking at a branch that is moving and in the shadow play it looks as if a goblin is coming to get you. This is an illusion because your perception is influenced by nothing other than the shape of the branches. However, if there are no branches at all and nothing forms strange shadow shapes, but the goblin is still on its way to you, then it is a hallucination. 

So don't worry, with us you don't need any mind-expanding ingredients to experience all the fun of illusions. It works without any external influences!

Why do we see illusions? 

Quite simply: because our brain can be fooled! With illusions and optical illusions, our brain only perceives incomplete information and simply adds the missing things. What's more, our brain automatically organises and categorises information. Even if the image of the face is concave, our brain interprets it as convex, curved outwards. This is because our brain only recognises such faces in our real world. 

In our everyday lives, this ability of our thinking organ helps us to quickly grasp information. But in the world of illusions, it becomes an adventure. 

Simply magical or all just a trick?

Anyone who has ever been to a magic show will be familiar with the thought: "This can't be true, how does it work?". Magicians know how to skillfully use optical illusions to their advantage. 

An old magic trick is based on the Sphinx illusion. This trick was created by Thomas Tobin and performed for the first time in October 1865 in the Egyptian Hall. In the original trick, the magician told a story about his travels through the Egyptian deserts and his discovery of an ancient statue of the Sphinx. He then claims that the statue's head miraculously comes to life. The magician placed the sphinx's head in a box. He swivelled it in a circle, spoke a few magical words and placed the box on the table. When he pulled the box away, the living head of the sphinx suddenly appeared on the top of the table and began to speak to the magician and the spectators. 

This old trick can also be found in our museum. But don't worry, with us you won't be transformed into a talking sphinx, but into your family's favourite food. Lots of fun guaranteed!

From Hollywood to Hamburg: optical illusions from the world of films

It is not only magicians who use illusions and optical illusions for their own purposes. These tricks are also used in various films. For example, in the Lord of the Rings films. Whenever hobbits are in a scene with normal-sized humans or orcs, the producers used the Ames Room effect to influence the size of the characters. 

The Ames Room is one of our illusion rooms and a great experience for everyone. Within seconds you shrink to a dwarf or grow to a giant. Children are suddenly taller than their parents and our brains wonder how this can work again. A little tip: this is all about perspective. But we don't want to give any more away yet, for more tips you'll have to come along and experience it for yourself!

Really something for everyone? 

We are often asked whether our museum is only for children. Let's be honest, you're never too old for fun experiences! 

As a family, with grandparents or friends, for couples or as singles - together you can immerse yourself in the world of illusions and experience how your brain reacts to different sensory impressions. We recently had a group of senior citizens visiting us who had the time of their lives. They scrutinised every exhibit in detail and it turned out that even people of an advanced age can still discover a lot here. By the way: our museum is barrier-free. You can get everywhere with a wheelchair, walking frame or walking stick. However, some illusion rooms should not be entered by people who suffer from balance disorders or epilepsy, as they have a major impact on the senses. 

A trip to us is also a good idea if you have already seen all the sights in Hamburg and are in the mood for indoor activities. Perhaps you have friends visiting from the neighbourhood or further afield and want to do something unusual. Or your train is delayed and you're looking for something to do in the area around the main station. 

No matter how old you are, it's a great way to awaken your inner child and amaze yourself again. It's well worth a visit!

Tips für a perfect experience

• Pack your camera or smartphone: some of our illusions only really come to life in a photo. You can also take some fun souvenir photos home with you. We will be happy to help you take a nice family or group photo on site. 
• Book tickets online in advance: This way we can guarantee you admission and you won't have to wait long to get in. 
• The best time to visit: Come against the flow. We are very busy at weekends and during the holidays. So, if you want to have as much peace and space as possible to explore, the best time is late afternoon during the week. Our last admission is at 6 PM every day. 
• Round off your trip with other activities in Hamburg: You can also get tickets for a harbour cruise with ships from the Abicht shipping company. You can round off your excursion with a tour of the Speicherstadt warehouse district or Hamburg harbour. Particularly beautiful: as soon as the sun goes down, the lights shimmer in the water and you can enjoy the view of the Elbe on an evening light cruise. The boats depart from the Landungsbrücken. You can book tickets online here on the website or buy them on site at the museum.