Ever wanted to experience what the Roman city of Pompeii was like before or during the historic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 C.E.? Most museums, including the archaeological sites at modern-day Pompeii, only show what happened after. However, an immersive exhibition at the National Museum of Australia promises to transport visitors back in time to witness the catastrophe firsthand.

The exhibition, simply titled “Pompeii,” is marketed as a unique, multi-sensory, immersive experience that leverages lighting, sound, and elements of virtual reality to craft a 360-degree recreation of the eruption. Running through May 4, 2025, the exhibition also includes more than 90 objects salvaged from the city, which, as a direct and admittedly ironic consequence of being covered in volcanic ash, have been exceptionally well-preserved.

Installation view of “Pompeii” at the National Museum of Australia. Photo: Martin Ollman/National Museum of Australia.

“Pompeii” was made in collaboration with the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, the Grand Palais in Paris, which houses many Pompeiian artifacts, as well as Gedeon Experiences, a French media company that specializes in developing immersive exhibitions for museums, galleries, cultural venues, and heritage sites.

“We hope to offer visitors a unique educational experience,” said Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the archaeological park, in a statement, “akin to what one might encounter when visiting the excavations at Pompeii today: the opportunity to step into an exceptionally well-preserved ancient space, to walk its streets, to observe its buildings, to explore public areas and to enter the private homes and the lives of those who inhabited these spaces.”

Installation view of “Pompeii” at the National Museum of Australia. Photo: Martin Ollman/National Museum of Australia.

When Vesuvius erupted, it effectively froze the city—a favorite get-away for wealthy Roman citizens—in time. Excavations are still being carried out on site, where new buildings, mosaics, wall paintings, and even unfinished food scraps continue to be unearthed. These relics continue to broaden our understanding life in Pompeii, in addition to ongoing academic and scientific studies.

The exhibition plans to add to those perspectives. It reconstructs the city’s main avenue, which leads directly to a floor-to-ceiling recreation of Mount Vesuvius. Along the way are four reimagined Roman homes, which are displayed with everyday objects discovered at the sites—some on view in Australia for the first time.

Installation view of “Pompeii” at the National Museum of Australia. Photo: Martin Ollman/National Museum of Australia.

“The story of Pompeii is dramatic, and this exhibition captures that drama. But it also gives an intimate look at what life was like in the ancient city and how it has continued to captivate our imaginations since its rediscovery,” said Lily Withycombe, the museum’s lead coordinating curator.

One noteworthy artifact featured in the exhibition is a situla, a container made of ceramics or metals that the Romans used to carry and store liquids. They’re similar to regular old buckets, save for the fact that some also served ceremonial purposes. Also included is a statuette of Venus, the Roman goddess of love, beauty, and desire, as well as an ancestor of one of Rome’s founding fathers, the mythological hero Aeneas.

Installation view of “Pompeii” at the National Museum of Australia. Photo: Martin Ollman/National Museum of Australia.

Some other noteworthy objects include an oil lamp, which the Romans used to illuminate their homes and streets, as well as a set of dice, which were commonly made out of bone, clay, or metal, and used to play a backgammon-like gambling game called taberna. Like modern dice, the symbols on their faces represented numbers. Unlike modern dice, they were elongated, influencing the way they rolled onto a table or other surface.

Installation view of “Pompeii” at the National Museum of Australia. Photo: Martin Ollman/National Museum of Australia.

Digital projections and sound design will also add to the experience, bringing the dramatic eruption to life (so much so that the the museum warns that the recreation might be upsetting to some visitors, stressing its loud noises and bright lights).

“The digital projections and soundscapes combined with ordinary and extraordinary objects give visitors an unparalleled glimpse into the everyday lives of people in ancient Pompeii,” Withycombe added. “Visitors will come away with a deeper, stronger connection with the people of Pompeii and their lives and the city they called home—despite more than 2,000 years of separation in time.”

“Pompeii” is on view at the National Museum of Australia, Lawson Crescent, Acton Peninsula, Canberra, Australia, through May 5, 2024.