Monet: The Immersive Experience

There seems to be a growing trend in Immersive Art Experiences across London. Starting with the Van Gogh Experience, more and more of these experiences are cropping up for limited periods. It’s no surprise, with technology growing it breathes new life into famous artworks, and gives a new way of engaging with it. I will confess, I’m not an art lover. I visit museums but I have a low attention span and usually rush through them. But if you include technology and let me engage, then I love it. After my recent visit to the Balloon Museum I started to get the Monet: The Immersive Experience on my timeline, and I knew I had to go. 

I booked my tickets for a late Wednesday evening. I prefer to go either early morning or late evening midweek for events like this as I know it’ll be quieter. Especially as I heard there are a few photo opportunities I thought it would be more enjoyable without the crowds. I was right to book then, as apart from a couple of people I mostly had the place to myself. 

When you arrive at Monet: The Immersive Experience you see a portrait of the man himself, before entering into a replica of the garden of Giverny. One of Monet’s most famous artworks, his Garden inspired a lot of his artworks and is one of the most famous gardens in France. He had a fascination with light and colours, with a particular interest in his water lily pond and how the lighting and reflections constantly changed. Here you can cross a replica of the bridge, making for your first photo opportunity, and watch digital fish swim, breathing life into the pond below.

In the corner of the room is a window, giving a glimpse into the next section, Monet’s house. Here we see more of Monet’s works. His portraits are a big focus here. We even found one that looked like me on picture day back from when I was at school. It’s really clever how they bring Monet’s house to life. It feels like you’re actually there.

Me and my friend saw the curtain we had to go through to enter the next room, and the flash of moving floor on the other side. We had to know what was on the other side. We entered into a room where the walls were lined with benches, and in the centre a giant cube. Projected everywhere was Monet’s work brought to life. Across the walls and floors, Monet’s artwork moved and shifted, at times showcasing portraits, others stretching landscapes around you so you felt as if you stood inside the painting.

We sat and enjoyed ourselves here for a while, watching the art pass us by. Sometimes we sat in the snow, and then moments later. We could feel the warmth in the Gardens of Giverny. We didn’t get a bench as they were all taken but we did find two deckchairs in a corner. If you want the best view, definitely try and sit in the middle of one of the four walls. In the corners sometimes.l things can be a bit hidden or just out of sight. 

All too soon it was time to move on. We left the room and found a staircase. As soon as I exited I felt a bit wobbly. Apparently this is quite common, so they had security on the stairs to check everyone is ok. At the top of which is a room for drawing your own Monet’s with a selection of scenes to colour in and crayons to use. Of course me and my friend took this with the utmost seriousness art deserved. But we loved it when we discovered a scanning section to digitally put your drawing up on the wall. I have never claimed to be an artist, and this experience just highlighted it. 

For many this is the end of the experience and the final room. When you exit here you have the option to do a VR journey through Monet’s work. It costs £3 per person which I don’t think is unreasonable. We paid and were led to a chair and a headset. Starting in space you are guided into Monet’s house, and lead painting by painting through some of his most famous works. Each one giving motion and completely surrounds you. The VR headsets are a great way to view art and it is a fantastic way to end the experience.

Of course any attraction has a gift shop at the end, and Monet: The Immersive Experience is no exception. I didn’t buy a thing here, but some of the items made sense whilst the others less so. Crayons, pencil sets, colouring books, all made sense to me. Monet flip-flops and silk robes, I couldn’t exactly get my head around. Maybe I missed something in the experience but it just made no sense to me. 

The Monet Immersive Experience is in London until the 18th of February. It’s a great experience and I highly recommend booking tickets so you don’t miss out. 

It is located in the Boiler House, a short walk from Brick Lane or Liverpool Street Station.

If you would like to book tickets, you can do so using the link here.

In total it’s about 60 to 75 minutes. So it’s really easy to fit in during any trip or even after work if you’re a London local.

The final day is the 18th of February 2024.

If you want to add on the VR experience then it’s an additional £3 payable at the venue.

With so much to do in London, it can be best to book in advance. Below Get Your Guide are advertising London’s most popular activities. By booking through the link you won’t pay any extra, but I may receive a commission which helps support the blog. Or you can check my London page for more travel guides.