Right now the Palace is undergoing renovation, but while many of the areas are off limits, they have what I consider to be one of the most interesting exhibitions EVER. Enchanted Palace has to be one of the most incredible museum experiences I have been to in a very, very long time. As a museum professional (or once upon a time museum professional . . .) I have been to a fair number of exhibits.
I went with my friend Tanja, a theatrical producer. When doing my research for my trip, I'd seen that the Palace was doing a fashion exhibit and put it on my list of things to see, I hadn't looked too closely at what it was. Tanja and I arrived (in the middle of a cold miserable downpour) and were a little worried about the age level of the exhibit. The theme was "Quest for Seven Princesses" and came with dance card "map" of the rooms. The price was also a bit steep - twelve pounds to get in. -- it was worth every penny!
The exhibition was a combination of art, history, theater, fashion, and mystery. Various room inspired fashion designers to create costume installation art pieces. The theme of the princesses were about actual princesses who lived in the space. You had to wander around and figure out what princess went with which room - and had to ask the docent/actors to tell the stories about the room. Words cannot convey what a marvelous experience this was! There was something for every age level. It was informative and engaging. Don't miss out on this - And every six months or so, new designers come in and re-interpret a room, so the experience changes with time.
Tanja and I walked around with our jaws hanging open. It's not easy to impress either of us, but we were both blown away by what the Palace had to offer. Neither of us are novices in our field, so for both of us to be captivated is really something!
The gardens were a little rainy and cold to wander around in the day we were there, but what we did see was beautiful!
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