I tried something a little different during my trip to Georgetown: an immersive art experience! I’ve seen temporary installations popping up around the US, featuring artwork from Van Gogh or mesmerizing light and art shows. But I was never in a good area to visit–or the tickets were sold out almost instantly. Luckily, Washington DC actually has a permanent location where you enjoy this type of experience all year long: Artechouse.
Artechouse is a ground-breaking art experience that creates multisensory exhibits by combining digital art and technology. The result is like stepping into an alternate universe where all that exists is art.
Our experience with Artechouse was 10/10, and I will definitely be prioritizing a return trip at one of their locations. Based on our time, I highly recommend it for everyone, whether you love art or just want a relaxing activity to destress (it was sooo peaceful inside!).
If this sounds like something you’re interested in, keep reading to find out what to expect when you visit!
Immerse Yourself in This Video!
Artechouse was kind enough to give me permission to make and share a short video of their art from Pixelbloom! Enjoy!
What to Expect at Artechouse DC
We visited during the PixelBloom event this spring, which featured flower and springtime themes, particularly cherry blossoms. It was Artechouse’s 5th annual springtime event in DC and was the perfect companion to cherry blossom and lavender season!
The exhibits change seasonally, so I won’t go into too much detail about the Pixelbloom specifics. Still, I wanted to share an idea of what you’ll experience when you visit, regardless of the theme.
FAQS About Artechouse DC
- How much does it cost? Standard adult admission is $25. Kids between 4 and 15 cost $17, and 4 and under are free. They also have discounts for students, seniors, militaries, and families.
- When is it open? Artechouse is open every day from 10 am to 10 pm.
- How long does it take? The whole experience takes about 60 minutes.
- Do I have to reserve a time? No, but you should! This guarantees your spot on a specific day and time and allows you to take advantage of any discounts.
- Can I buy tickets at the door? Technically, yes. But you shouldn’t. This is an incredibly popular experience, and only a few tickets are available on-site. You risk getting turned away if they’re already booked up for that time.
- Is this good for kids? Yes! The artwork’s colorful and interactive aspects will definitely grab your kids’ attention! And some of the events are more educational/thought-provoking as well.
- What should I wear? I felt a bit chilly inside, so you may want a very light jacket. Otherwise, wear something you’re comfortable sitting on the floor in. (More on that below.)
Exploring the Exhibits
Artechouse DC has three main sections that guests can explore: The main event, a small side exhibit, and an interactive hallway and bonus room.
Artechouse Main Room:
The first room you enter is the epicenter of the experience. At the top of the stairs, you’ll find the XR Bar, overlooking a large, two-story white room. From floor to ceiling, the walls are covered with moving art displays that change every couple of minutes.
The best view is from the floor, so you’ll find small cushions scattered about. Guests are encouraged to find a good spot to enjoy the show and relax as the mesmerizing displays rotate through.
The art is fully immersive, as it swirls around your feet and up the walls to finally disappear into the ceiling, the only part of the room that’s not exploding with color.
Side Room
On the right, there’s a small side room that may have a different art experience for your visit. During ours, it held a large installation that had flowers on three sides. The flowers changed colors periodically, but you could alter the direction and color of the bloom by moving in different directions by the flower! So cool!
Back Hallway & Exhibit
On the opposite side of the main room, there’s a hallway filled with more interactive artwork. The Pixelbloom experience centered on the concept of spring, so one part of the hallway bloomed with cherry blossoms as you stepped on the branches, bubbles followed you across a “river,” and bees and honeycomb trailed behind your footsteps. It was so fun!
At the end of this hall, there were two additional rooms with mesmerizing art setups. The first looked like an enchanted forest, with lights projected onto carefully placed screens.
In the other room, various monitors and TV screens shared more miniature scenes with bright colors and relaxing motion. Like diamonds falling onto cherry blossoms and galaxies of flowers.
The XR Bar
The final thing you’ll want to try at Artechouse is the XR Bar! They have a rotating menu with various themed mocktails and cocktails that tie into the experience. It’s kid-friendly, too, and the workers were great about helping the kids enjoy their drinks by sweetening them up a bit.
I tried the Pixelbloom mocktail, which had lemon, cherry, and blackberry syrups with toasted rice soda. It came topped with a delicious sweet foam and a flower, and I felt like I could have drank seven of them! It was delicious! They’re a bit pricey but totally worth it, IMO.
This space also has an XR experience that you can activate with their app to have even more fun!
Seasonal Changes at Artechouse
Every few months, Artechouse updates its exhibits with brand new artwork and visuals from various artists. It’s a great way to bring exposure to these creatives and explore all sorts of themes and viewpoints.
At the time of this post, Artechouse is showing AṢẸ: AFRO FREQUENCIES. This new exhibit “celebrates the Black experience through the perspectives of artist Vince Fraser and poet Ursula Rucker.” It sounds fantastic, and I love their description: “Walk alongside African kings and queens as you explore timeless questions of identity, power, and belonging in this powerful and futuristic audiovisual exhibition.” (Artechouse website) I hope to revisit DC soon and catch this event while I’m there!
No matter when you visit, I’m sure you’ll love the newest theme and immersive environments they create!
Closing Thoughts
Thanks for stopping by and reading this post! I highly encourage you to go check out the Artechouse website and visit a location near you!
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Thanks again, and happy travels!
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