Museum of Illusions’ Upside Down House: Immersive fun or stupid Instagram stunt?

Narcissism is here to stay. For proof, look no further than those immersive “art exhibitions,” colorful backdrops made for social-media selfies.

The Museum of Ice Cream, which took up residence in Los Angeles for eight months in 2017 and now resides permanently in San Francisco, has been valued at $200 million by investors, according to the Wall Street Journal. The business is planning new venues internationally as well as branded foods and other products. There’s even talk of a theme park.

The pop-up experience Happy Place, which debuted in L.A. in 2017, has since embarked on a world tour. We’ve had 29Rooms and the 14th Factory as well, to name a few.

The latest? The Upside Down House, which we recently scouted. (Note to selfie: We’ll navigate more of these destinations in the months to come.)

The Upside Down House

The tagline: “You’ll finally see what it’s like to walk on walls!”

The reality: The Museum of Illusions is underwhelming — mostly clichéd mural environments (think natural disasters and Hollywood premieres) that you can pose with. But its new exhibit, the Upside Down House, which debuted in June, is well designed and fun in the kitschiest way. In seven topsy-turvy rooms, furniture hangs from the ceiling. Even the view outside the kitchen window is upside down.

The best angle: Hang from the handlebars of the cotton-candy pink bicycle by the entrance, lean backwards and have someone snap your picture. Rotate it in edit mode and voila: Your world has been turned upside down.

The reaction: “I’m a researcher studying future trends, how living is changing and how people are changing,” said Tanja Vieth, 40, who splits her time between Glendale and Hamburg, Germany. “Something like this, such a crazy home, it sparks the imagination. It opens you up a little bit.”

“It’s just a cool idea,” added her daughter, Charlotte Vieth, 13. “It’s something new.”

Side note: The Moscow-based company behind the Museum of Illusions, Big Funny LLC, said it plans to open 10 Upside Down Houses in the U.S. by the end of this year.

Final verdict: Is it worth the admission of $12-$25? Perhaps, if you’re especially Instagram-motivated. There are plenty of illusions to play with here that will rack up the “likes.”