PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. — A new exhibit in Pigeon Forge lets families see examples of world-famous images painted by Michelangelo on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, for a fraction of the cost of seeing them in Vatican City.
The Sevier County exhibit is displayed on canvases, walls and on the ceiling at the same size as the original paintings. Visitors can download an app and scan QR codes to learn more about each of the 34 frescoes. Sylvia Noland, a spokesperson for SEE Global Touring, said the exhibit allows more people to see the treasured frescoes and gives them a different experience than seeing it in the Vatican City.
"These are the exact images that are up there on the ceiling," Noland said. "When you're there, they look like a postage stamp because they're 60 feet in the air. Here, they're 12 feet high."
Noland said the accompanying QR codes offer a guided audio tour to help people learn more about the history of Michelangelo's work, which took five years to finish.
"It's fascinating, we have 'David and Goliath,' 'The Creation of Adam,'" Noland said. "You're able to take as long a time as you want here, as many photos and selfies as you want."
Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition opens on Friday, Sept. 20 to families in the Mountain Mile Mall on Teaster Lane. Tickets cost $25 for adults, $14 for children and $20 for seniors 65 and older, and military. Visitors can buy them here.
The exhibit runs Tuesday through Sunday and is expected to be in Pigeon Forge for at least the next six months.