Prototype is Columbus' new experimental museum for adults

State of play: The 30,000-square-foot space near Scioto Audubon Metro Park houses a variety of exhibitions and experiences meant to be a confluence of art, media and technology.

• It takes inspiration from Columbus' Otherworld and other nationally recognized spaces like New York's Mercer Labs and Miami's Superblue.

What to expect: The experience is broken into six "stages," each with its own theme.

• You'll find new methods of interacting with famous pieces of art, VR experiences, psychological experiments, games and modern art installations.
• One stage uses caterpillars as an entry point, while another lets visitors play with beats and music.
• It culminates in Stage 6's theater space featuring a 150-foot-wide projection screen and, eventually, a bar and lounge space.

Behind the scenes: Prototype is the first public-facing venture of Dublin-based design and production firm Roto.

• You may never have heard of Roto, but you've probably experienced one of its exhibitions for COSI, the zoo and multiple Smithsonian museums.

Between the lines: Unchained from clients or commissions, Prototype's leaders are excited to play.

• "It was freeing, in a lot of ways, saying, 'There's no limitation — just a date we'd like to open by,'" experience manager Natalie Pettit tells Axios.

The intrigue: That also means visitors can expect frequent tweaks and shifts in the exhibits themselves.

• "It will always be evolving, and I think that's the exciting part," creative technology lead Nick Braun says.

That freedom allowed the ability to focus on deeper, slightly challenging experiences geared toward adults rather than children.

• Visitors must be 13 or older, and those 13-15 need to be with an adult.
• "We wanted the permission to do edgier stuff, but the other thing we found is that if you have to make it work for an 8-year-old, it's sort of dumbed down," says creative director Joseph Wisne. "So that's challenged us to come up with things that are more sophisticated."

The bottom line: It's hard to nail down exactly what Prototype is — and that's the idea.

• "We wanted to have a platform where we could experiment with the full range," Wisne tells Axios.

• "Meaning and connection is one of the things to be getting better at with museums. It's not all just entertainment or eye candy — it's something that has understandable depth."

🎟️ If you go: Prototype opens Nov. 1. Hours: 11am-6pm Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday and 11am-8pm Friday and Saturday at 540 Maier Place.

• Tickets: $39-43.

A look inside

I got a first look at Prototype during a preview before Saturday's opening.

The vibe: From its sleek design to the tech in the exhibitions, the space feels much more museum than playground.

• It's easy to understand why they'd prefer that kids weren't running around — things look expensive and breakable.

My highlights: Zooming into high-resolution images of art, a deep dive into the history of tarot and a room focused on music.

• Do yourself a favor and don't look at too many Instagram posts about the exhibits — the surprise was fun.

How it works: Hourly attendance is capped at around 80 to keep visits from feeling crowded or rushed.

💭 My thought bubble: Time was limited on the preview tour, and I felt myself leaving nearly every stage earlier than I wanted to.

• That's a good sign. I'm excited to go back for the full experience.
• And I'm curious about the variety of events Prototype plans to host in its massive theater room.