Here's Your Chance to Step Inside Van Gogh's Most Famous Paintings

One of the pandemic's most popular art events is heading to the West Coast.

"Immersive Van Gogh," a multisensory experience that made its debut in Toronto in July, will open in San Francisco in March and Los Angeles in May. The exhibits will run through the summer.

"Immersive Van Gogh'' opened in Chicago earlier this month. After selling out its initial engagement, it extended its stay through September to give more people the chance to walk through famous Van Gogh paintings such as "Irises," "Sunflowers," and "Starry Night."

The exhibit uses music, color, movement, and light to envelop visitors in the artist's work. It's meant to present scenes as glimpses of active life set among moving landscapes. Organizers promise a whopping 500,000 cubic feet of projections, including 60,600 video frames set to music.

Ticket prices for "Immersive Van Gogh" start at $39.99 for adults and $24.99 for those 16 and younger. The exhibit is scheduled to run through Sept. 6, 2021 in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Chicago, and takes an estimated one hour to walk through.

Face masks, temperature checks, and social distancing are required at all locations. Organizers also are using touchless methods for taking tickets and incorporating social distancing markers made of lights.

The event has been particularly popular during the pandemic, with Ticketmaster reporting that "Immersive Van Gogh" in Toronto was its top-selling event during July and August 2020.

Meena Thiruvengadam is a Travel Leisure contributor who has visited 50 countries on six continents and 47 U.S. states. She loves historic plaques, wandering new streets and walking on beaches. Find her on Twitter and Instagram.