The Sistine Chapel Experience Launches The Americas Tour in Austin, Expanding City's International Destination and Cultural Reach
A breathtaking full-scale digital recreation of Michelangelo's masterpiece arrives in Texas
AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- One of the world's most extraordinary cultural treasures is coming to Texas in the form of The Sistine Chapel Experience. The digital recreation will allow visitors in Austin to step inside a dynamic, cinematic recreation of Michelangelo's iconic frescoes – The Creation of Adam, The Last Judgment, and sixteen biblical scenes – alongside the works of Botticelli, Perugino, Ghirlandaio, Pinturicchio, Rosselli, and Signorelli.
Spanning nearly 25,000 square feet, the experience transforms a former retail center at Barton Creek Mall into the immersive Sistine Chapel Experience, taking guests through a $5 million plus production powered by more than 50 state-of-the-art laser projectors, where moving light and projection transform every brushstroke in dazzling resolution. The ceiling is lowered so visitors can stand just feet from the artwork – an encounter impossible even inside the Vatican itself.
Austin's New Role as a Global Cultural Destination
The Sistine Chapel Experience marks another milestone in Austin's evolution into a world-class destination for international art, culture, and innovation—joining global events such as Formula 1 at Circuit of the Americas, SXSW, and ACL Festival.
Using more than 4 million images and 270,000 ultra-high-definition reproductions, the exhibit took over 65 days of photographic work to create, transforming the renassiance artists visions into a moving, immersive encounter that merges digital storytelling with centuries-old genius.
Visitors will move through three galleries that chronicle the artistic process, culminating in a cinematic environment that reveals hidden details invisible to the naked eye -- even for those who've visited Rome. They will also enjoy a cinematic prelude to the exhibit created by Hollywood Legends and partners Gary Lucchesi (Million Dollar Baby, Primal Fear and Underworld) and James Younger (Through the Wormhole and The Story of God with Morgan Freeman).
Exhibition Details
- Dates: Opens November 19, 2025
- Location: Barton Creek Square Mall, 2901 S. Capital of Texas Hwy, Austin, TX 78746
- Hours: Wednesday–Sunday, 11 a.m.–7 p.m. (last entry 7 p.m.)
- Tickets:sistineexperience.com
- Duration: 45–90 minutes
- Accessibility: Fully ADA compliant; all ages welcome
In addition to the chapel recreation, visitors will encounter an authentic reproduction of a Gutenberg Bible and a full-scale replica of Michelangelo's Pietà, crafted with advanced sculptural materials faithful to the original—uniting two of the most sacred and historic works of human civilization under one roof.
About the Project
The Sistine Chapel Experience is a collaboration between the Vatican Museums, Scripta Maneant, and Sistine Chapel Exhibits, LLC – a team of Texas-based founders working in partnership with Italy's leading art publishers. The project merges cultural preservation with immersive technology, bringing Michelangelo's world to modern audiences and positioning Texas as a global leader in experiential storytelling.
Media Opportunities
Interviews are available with Executive Producer Francesco Lori, Gary Lucchesi, James Younger and members of the Texas-based founding team, and art historians behind the project.
For interviews, press access, or b-roll:
MEDIA CONTACTS:
JT Graham or Laura Ladewig
Crosswind Media & Public Relations
media@crosswindpr.com
Photos & Gallery: sistineexperience.com/#gallery
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SOURCE The Sistine Chapel Experience