Claire Owens crawled under a table and stuck her head through an opening — making it appear that her head was in a bowl, in which her mom, Kimberly Owens, pretended to toss a salad.
The exhibit, called Head in a Platter, is one of several mind-bending and interactive optical illusions now on display at the Museum of Illusions, a new attraction opening this weekend in The Gateway in Salt Lake City.
Head in a Platter was popular with the preview audience that toured the new museum Thursday evening. At one point, a woman in a chef’s coat joined in on the fun, posing as if she were serving up heads for dinner.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Erick Cook poses for a photo in the Head on a Platter illustion at the Museum of Illusions in Salt Lake City on Thursday, July 17, 2025.
For Claire — who came to the museum from Alpine with her parents, Kimberly and Penn Owens — the highlight was the “Beuchet Chair” illusion. The setup uses forced perspective to make one person appear tiny while seated on a platform, and another look giant while standing beside the chair’s legs.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Penn and Kimberly Owens check out The Infinity Room with their daughter Claire at the Museum of Illusions in Salt Lake City on Thursday, July 17, 2025.
The museum spans more than 13,000 square feet of exhibits, optical illusions, 3D holograms and interactive illusion rooms to The Gateway at 110 S. Rio Grande St.
During a preview event ahead of Friday’s public opening, museum officials said the Salt Lake City location is the second-largest of the company’s North America locations.
“We are very proud of our brand,” said Kim Schaefer, CEO of Museum of Illusions, while giving a champagne toast. “It provides meaningful entertainment, education that appeals to families and adults alike.”
The new location also debuts three exhibits unique to Utah, each nodding to local culture. One features a cowboy character celebrating the state’s Western roots. Another is modeled after the Victorian-style homes in some Salt Lake City neighborhoods.
One exhibit, the Reversed Room, is inspired by vintage soda shops, paying homage to Utah’s “dirty soda” trend, where customers can order soft drinks with flavored syrups, cream and other mix-ins. The trend was popularized nationally by the Utah women in the MomTok community, who appeared on the reality show “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.”
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Reversed Room at the Museum of Illusions in Salt Lake City on Thursday, July 17, 2025.
With more than 80 exhibits designed for all ages, the museum invites visitors to explore the science of vision and perception — and discover why the brain doesn’t always agree with what the eyes see, museum officials said.
The first Museum of Illusions opened in Zagreb, Croatia, in 2015. The company now has more than 70 locations across North America, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, according to the museum’s website and Schaefer.
The museum offers a visual, sensory and educational experience designed to “engage your sense of wonder and shift your perspective through the science behind optical illusions,” according to its website.
Schaefer said in a news release that Salt Lake City’s Depot District is the ideal setting for a space that “challenges perception and celebrates the unexpected.”
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Disco Ball models in the Walk in Kaleidoscope at the Museum of Illusions in Salt Lake City on Thursday, July 17, 2025.
“We can’t wait to welcome guests of all ages to explore, play and see the impossible come to life right here in the heart of one of Utah’s most dynamic neighborhoods,” she said.
The museum is open Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., with final admission allowed up to one hour before closing.
Admission is $31 for adults and $27 for children 12 and under. Infants age 4 and under enter for free. Discounted rates are available for people over 60 and those who have served in the military. The museum also offers deals for families.
The Gateway has hosted temporary exhibits in the past, including a breakfast-themed art display that ran for one month in 2018, and “The ‘Friends’ Experience,” an immersive attraction, based on the hit sitcom, that ran for three months in 2023.
