From July 28, families can take part in a brand-new immersive trail around the Brunel Museum to discover the story of the Thames Tunnel.
The Thames Tunnel was Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s very first project, working for his father Marc Brunel. The trail charts the story of the Tunnel, from its inception as a way of moving precious between the docks on the North and South sides of the river. It also includes details of Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s last project, the SS Great Eastern.
Katherine McAlpine, museum director, said: “We’re so excited to bring to life Brunel’s achievements in a completely different way this summer and we hope families will enjoy experiencing it as much as we enjoyed making it.”
To deliver the trail, the Museum worked with Aroma Prime Scent consultants for the smells, and Altogether Creative for the graphics.
Liam R. Findlay, themed scent consultant, AromaPrime, said: “The AromaPrime team was delighted to prepare these life-like scents for the Brunel Museum! Each aroma is reflective of the busy industry at the time, as well as some of the new and unusual imports people would have sniffed at the docks. Focussing on historical smells helps visitors think about the past in a very personal way, especially because our smell receptors are connected to the part of the brain which processes memories and emotions. Inhaling the same flavours people would have over a hundred years ago helps you put yourself in their shoes, sometimes in a much more profound way than a picture or words might.”