The Hellenic Cosmos Cultural Centre in Athens will host the international interactive exhibition Jules Verne 200 starting on September 25, 2026.
Organisers announced that the showcase, titled Jules Verne 200: The Exciting Experience, celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of the pioneering French science fiction author. The Athens venue serves as a major stop on an international tour that has already drawn millions of visitors worldwide and is scheduled to wrap up in Paris in 2028.
Located at 254 Pireos Street, the venue will offer guided visits lasting between 60 and 75 minutes in both Greek and English. Organisers confirmed that the exhibition is suitable for visitors aged four and above, while a dedicated free roaming virtual reality space requires guests to be at least seven years old. Group and school visits are scheduled to begin on October 5, with tickets made available through the online booking platform more.com and phone reservations handled directly through 6977 407217 and 6980 267672.
Immersive digital projections and virtual reality
The centerpiece of the production is a 25 minute immersive 360 degree projection film that transforms the hall into a panoramic digital environment. Viewers travel across oceans, descend toward the core of the planet, float in high altitude balloons, and journey to the Moon in scenes inspired by the French writer's most famous literary works. Verne, who lived from 1828 to 1905, published pioneering adventure novels including Journey to the Center of the Earth, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, and From the Earth to the Moon, establishing fundamental tropes of modern science fiction.
A separate 360 degree virtual reality section transports visitors through the key locations of the author's life. The experience traces his childhood in the port city of Nantes in western France through the maritime landscapes that shaped his imagination. A second virtual reality installation, named MetaVern, allows guests to walk untethered through full scale digital landscapes, inspect futuristic machinery, and interact directly with the environment.
Interactive engineering and historical exhibits
The exhibition also features an interactive installation where visitors can digitally design six of the author's most famous machines. Organisers explained that the feature demonstrates how nineteenth century speculative concepts anticipated modern technical innovations such as submarines, space capsules, and motorized air travel.
Physical displays complement the digital elements, featuring three-dimensional models, authentic archival documents, and detailed historical exhibits. Highlights include a model of Captain Nemo's legendary submarine, the Nautilus, alongside scale representations of iconic vehicles and landmark scenes from classic literature. A historical tribute details Verne's wider influence on cinema, modern technology, and visual culture, while highlighting his specific references to Greece and classical Hellenic heritage.
Scientific backing and symphonic score
The historical content and scientific documentation for the exhibition were prepared with the support of the Société Jules Verne. Founded in France in 1935, the international organization is dedicated to researching, cataloging, and preserving the author's historical legacy and literary archives.
An original orchestral soundtrack accompanies the entire exhibition, composed by internationally recognised composer Rafel Plana. The score was recorded specifically for the installation by the Bratislava Symphony Orchestra and Choir to create a cinematic backdrop for visitors as they explore the displays.
