New museum experience at Christ Cathedral take immersive look at Shroud of Turin

Still photos taken by Secondo Pia, believed to be the first to photograph the Shroud of Turin in 19th-century Italy, have been brought to life as part of an immersive storytelling experience that opens today, Nov. 19, at the Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove.

Using emerging technology, including AI, creative director Jason Pearson, from FiveHive Studios, takes visitors back in time to Pia’s workshop as he develops his photos of the shroud, only to discover in the negatives what is believed to be the faint image of Jesus Christ in the linen of his burial cloth.

With interactive kiosks, like the recreation of Pia’s studio, a series of 360-degree projection-room theaters, Shroud of Turin replicas, a life-size Jesus corpus, new artwork and more, “The Shroud of Turin: An Immersive Experience” offers the latest evidence and scientific research about the shroud and a historical journey into the life and death of Jesus. The semi-permanent museum built in the cathedral’s the Richard H. Pickup Cultural Center is expected to be open through at least 2030.

The Most Rev. Timothy Freyer, the auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Orange, said the $5 million project is, to his knowledge, “the only center like this in the world.”

While other museums have touched on aspects of the shroud, he said, the theater storytelling experience and interactive displays make the exhibit unique to Orange County.

“There’s history, there’s art, there’s medical, you know, it’s got so many components to it that it’s just a fun story to tell,” Pearson said.

A high-density, photographic replica of the Shroud of Turin printed on archival canvas welcomes visitors to the exhibit, which was dedicated by Bishop Kevin Vann and his auxiliary bishops on Tuesday.

The copy was produced at the request of the Bishops of Orange and approved by the archbishop of the Turin archdiocese, where officials say the original shroud is kept.

From there, guests enter a series of immersive theater rooms that form the heart of the experience, tracing the life of Jesus, the events of his crucifixion, and the history of the shroud itself.

A key highlight of the experience is a dramatic recreation of the resurrection, where visitors witness a sudden burst of light as they sit inside a simulated tomb. Officials say the moment is meant to capture both the darkness of Good Friday and the wonder of Easter morning.

The second portion of the museum features interactive kiosks, high-resolution projections and multimedia storytelling that walk visitors through the shroud’s journey across centuries. It also highlights, officials said, decades of scientific research and evidence, inviting guests to examine that material up close.

Nora Creech, who helped develop and install the semi-permanent exhibit as a curator with Othonia, a consortium of experts on the shroud artifact that is based in Rome, said the group specializes in connecting the story of the shroud to the scriptures, using it as a teaching tool for the gospel. It provided a majority of the museum’s written content and research, while Vista-based FiveHive Studios crafted the animation, immersion theaters, kiosks and video content.

The diocese also hopes the museum will connect younger generations to the teachings and life of Christ by exploring the significance of the shroud through a captivating storytelling experience, Freyer said.

“We’re hoping that, once we get everything fully up and running, we can create a curriculum for seventh-grade students,” he said. “So that they can learn about the science of the shroud, then come visit and discern for themselves whether they think this really is the burial cloth of Jesus and if there really is a God.”

Freyer said the focus on that age group is based on several studies showing that children typically begin to ask questions about their faith, including the existence of God, around middle-school age.

“We want to be able to give them that experience now,” he added, “rather than have them suffer for years in doubt and confusion.”

The museum will be open daily  Adult tickets are $20 and the cost is $10 for children between 10 to 14 years old. There are school and group discounts available. For more information, visit TheShroudExperience.com.