Visitors can now take a virtual stroll through Centre Block on Parliament Hill

"Parliament: The Immersive Experience" opened to the public on Thursday, taking visitors on a cutting-edge journey through Parliament Hill's Centre Block.

Located at 211 Sparks Street, the new immersive show provides a 360-degree panorama of Centre Block, which is currently closed for renovation work.

"The first room is a multimedia exhibit that allows visitors to connect with the history, the art, their architecture and the people who worked at the historic Centre Block building," Renee Asselin, The Virtual Experience Senior Program Officer, said on Thursday.

Upon entry, guests can engage with interactive models displaying the building's interior. With miniature displays of some of the rooms inside. 

The next room hosts a 25-minute trip through Parliament's core, with projections displayed on every wall.

"It allows them to kind of walk into that Centre Block building and in a way that kind of still conveys the feeling of, 'Wow,' that you get when you walk into that building, which is what we ultimately wanted. To allow people to connect with Parliament."

"Parliament: The Immersive Experience" is a new immersive show providing a 360-degree panorama of Centre Block. (Parliament of Canada/release)

In light of Parliament's 2019 closure, likely for more than a decade for renovations, this immersive experience serves as an exciting alternative. 

"We have welcomed Canadians on tours of the building for years and years and years, about 350,000 people per year would come in on tour. And we knew that should the building be closed for say up to 10 years, that would be about 3.5 million people that wouldn't have access to the space," Kit Frost, The Virtual Experience Senior Manager, said.

The attraction showcases extensive projections featuring essential areas such as the Senate, House of Commons, Library of Parliament, Peace Tower, and Memorial Chamber.

"For us, for the Library, for the Senate and the House of Commons and the Speakers, it was really important to be able to give people an alternative experience of that space so that we didn't lose an entire generation," says Frost. "Having witnessed what I did as a kid coming in there."

"Parliament: The Immersive Experience" allows you to take a tour of the Centre Block on Parliament Hill, including the House of Commons. (Parliament of Canada/release)

The full experience takes 45 minutes, accommodating groups of 35 people per session. 

"The tickets are free and really it's open to anyone who has an interest in Parliament or people who are just kind of intrigued and want to learn a little bit more," Asselin said. "So we encourage everyone to come and really get a chance to experience this amazing experience and really we want people to connect with parliament."

"Parliament: The Immersive Experience" runs seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Click here to get your free tickets.