A new immersive experience takes you inside ‘Downton Abbey’

“Downton Abbey” might be the most-watched drama in PBS history. The lives of the Crawley family and their servants captivated viewers for six seasons over the past decade, as did the Crawley estate itself. Now, a new immersive exhibition at Perimeter Pointe invites guests to step into post-Edwardian England, courtesy of Atlanta-based experience creators Imagine Exhibitions. “City Lights” Producer Summer Evans booked herself a tour and provides a sneak preview of what to expect.

At the exhibition entrance, a vivid projection of Carson the butler greets visitors and orients them in his classic style. “It does seem slightly odd to me that you should concern yourself with the kitchens and the servant’s quarters, just as I confess that I’m slightly surprised by the clothes that some of you have decided to wear today,” he orates in his classic dry fashion. 

Tom Zaller, president and CEO of Imagine, spoke with Evans during her visit. He shared some background on how he was able to involve cast members of “Downton Abbey” in the exhibition’s theatrics. “Mrs. Patmore might be there and say something to you as you’re walking through. Carson is your greeter,” he said. “You get these moments where they’re with you in the space, and you won’t see many exhibitions like this, because it’s too hard to do it, and NBC and Carnival really leaned into this project because they care about it.”