Hopetown Darlington, the north of England’s newest visitor attraction celebrating Darlington’s pioneering railway heritage, has just opened its state-of-the-art railway-themed time travel immersive experience – Experiment!
Located on the platform at North Road Station Museum, Experiment! is an extraordinarily vivid immersion into passenger rail travel; using massive digital screens and a motion simulator ride themed like Experiment, the carriage pulled by Locomotion No. 1 on its first journey on 27th September 1825.
The ride takes passengers from Darlington all across the world – and through different time periods – showcasing Darlington’s impact on railways across the world.
Experiment! was created by Figment Productions, an award-winning digital media company which uses cutting-edge technology to deliver top class creative work. They have delivered technological innovation worldwide for nearly 10 years, and Experiment! Is their most recent project.
Ian Williams, Chief Executive of Darlington Borough Council, said: “Experiment! is an exciting addition to Hopetown Darlington, which brings Darlington’s rich railway heritage to life in a unique way. This immersive, world-class experience is the first of its kind in the north east, and it’s safe to say that riders will leave thoroughly impressed.”
Colin Arnold, Head of Film and Audio at Figment Productions, said: “Figment Productions is incredibly proud to have worked on this innovative immersive ride experience alongside lead consultants PLB Projects and our AV hardware partners, Fusion LX. Experiment! brings the story of passenger railways to life, captivating visitors of all ages with a time-travel adventure that celebrates the world’s first passenger railway journey. Drawing on our extensive experience, crafting immersive rides and attractions for theme parks and museums worldwide, we hope this family-friendly adventure will inspire the next generation of innovators by showcasing Darlington’s rich railway heritage and the North East’s pioneering history.”
Experiment! Opened to the public on Tuesday 26th November. Online booking will be available from Tuesday 3rd December.
Details for Experiment! are available on Hopetown Darlington’s What’s On webpage www.hopetowndarlington.co.uk/experiment