The Timewalk Exhibition Review
Tonight I became a time traveller. In just 60 minutes I journeyed back 12,000 years and visited 21 ancient civilisations. The Timewalk Exhibition promises to restore the grandeur, atmosphere and human stories of the past through vivid, multi‑sensory worlds — a living, breathing spectacle grounded in archaeological research.
You’re given headphones (with 25 languages and a child’s guide to chose from) and guided through a tunnel that speaks about atoms, matter and the shared building blocks of humanity. Then you enter a room lined with towering columns, each representing a civilisation. Some were familiar — the Maya, Egypt — and others I’d never encountered, which genuinely surprised me given how much I love history. What isn’t explained is that you must tap your audio guide on each column to hear its story, and that the experience is paced as a group. As someone who reads and listens to everything, I only managed four or five of the civilisations before being moved on, which left me a little disappointed, especially as I like to take things in fully.
The next four rooms continue the group format. Each is a 360° projection with spatial sound, but with limited seating. We visited the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the ancient wonders of the world. Then the Great Pyramid of Giza — the only ancient wonder still standing and one I’ve visited in person which gave this section a different kind of resonance. From there we moved to the Maya, and finally to Rapa Nui, whose name I only learned tonight even though I was aware of Easter Island and its statues. The visuals are striking, but at times the music in my headphones overwhelmed the narration.
As the experience ends, we’re reminded that every civilisation looked up at the same sky, felt the same rain, and asked similar questions. Despite vast differences in culture and geography, each sought to understand the world and leave a mark. “What brings us together? What are we reaching for?” the audio asks.
At the end, there’s a sand pit where you can try your hand at being an archaeologist and excavate. There are also four motion‑tracked characters, and if you stand in the right areas and move, the avatars mirror your movements, adding a simple but enjoyable bit of interactivity.
DEM museum, the 15 times globally awarded creators of The Timewalk Exhibition, emphasise that their aim is to transform how people learn history and to to show that while cultures differ, our heritage is shared. They certainly achieve this. Over 200 people worked for more than two years to build this project, grounding each story in research and expert consultation. We heard from three professors, each who worked on their separate sections. An Egyptologist highlighted Egypt as the first known nation‑state. A writer explained that whilst we call some of them “lost” civilisations, they left us many things about themselves that replace mystery with understanding.
The exhibition’s message is clear: humanity has always been diverse, but our questions — and our desire to understand — are shared.
Timewalk opens 23rd July 2026, and currently booking til 30th September.
Address: Immerse LDN at Excel London Waterfront, Royal Victoria Dock, London E16 1XL
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timewalkexhibition
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