The One-Of-A-Kind Immersive, Digital Art Museum In Tokyo That's Best Entered Barefoot

Perhaps no city on Earth is as renowned with tourists for its futuristic and hip experiences as Tokyo, and the city is home to a digital museum that's the epitome of both. The teamLab Planets museum, located in the beautiful Kōtō City area along Tokyo Bay, is a budget-friendly, one-of-a-kind destination filled with multisensory and full-body immersive art exhibits that are a must-see for curious travelers. It even set a Guinness World Record as the world's most-visited museum by a single art group in 2024, clocking 2.5 million visitors in a single year.

The museum is the brainchild of an international collective of digital artists and creatives known as teamLab, who seek "to navigate the confluence of art, science, technology, and the natural world" and "explore the relationship between the self and the world, and new forms of perception." To push those boundaries the collective created four large-scale artwork spaces and two gardens for visitors to experience at the museum, but there's a hitch: no shoes allowed inside!

After leaving your shoes at the entrance, the museum is a cavalcade of sensory experiences. At times you'll wade through water, while at others you'll feel like you're floating in a digital universe of giant multicolored flowers. In some spaces you'll be surrounded by seemingly ever-changing lights and mirrors with music and sounds coming from all directions. While most museums discourage guests from touching the exhibits, that's not the case at teamLab Planets. As you interact with the exhibits, some of the strange shapes will even transform or change color with just a touch of your hand.

Don't forget to charge your cell phone before arrival because teamLab Planets is a treasure trove of photo-worthy backgrounds for Instagram and TikTok. You can spend hours exploring the maze-like facility, finding new angles and cool images for all your friends and followers to enjoy. The gift shop sells various orchids and containers, but check with your country's agricultural import and export laws before purchasing any bright flowery presents.

Although you will be barefoot inside the museum, you may also want to consider wearing shorts or a skirt rather than pants or a dress. Some of the exhibits will undoubtedly leave your legs wet. But don't worry, the museum has towels available to dry yourself after.

It's important to buy your ticket to teamLab Planets online ahead of time online because of the museum's popularity. It did win a Guinness World Record after all for the incredible amount of visitors it's currently receiving. The ticket comes with an allotted admission time, which helps you avoid dense Tokyo crowds, so don't be late. Also, download the accompanying teamLab app beforehand to enjoy some bonus features while at the museum.

If you work up an appetite after delving into the museum's mind-boggling exhibits, visit the Vegan Raman UZU restaurant in the plaza of teamLab Planets. The restaurant itself is an art-space, where you can enjoy not just ramen, but also delicious vegan ice creams and teas. Art-loving travelers can also explore galleries and museums closer to home by visiting these pretty American cities.