Yesterday my daughters and I trekked three hours north to Washington, DC to attend The Van Gogh Experience.

I have been an ardent fan of Vincent Van Gogh’s works from the time back in 1972 when, at the age of 16, I heard and fell in love with Don McLean’s haunting song Vincent. Since then, I have loved all of Van Gogh’s works, but especially The Starry Night. When I made my first trip to London in 1979 I went to the Tate Gallery and was thrilled to find a print of “The Starry Night.” I had it framed and it has hung in my living room for decades.

In 2021 my older daughter and I discovered The Van Gogh Immersive Experience in Washington, DC and went to it in November of that year. We were mezmerized by the experience and spent more than three hours going through the exhibits. I learned so much about the artist I’d never taken time to find out (including the fact that he was color blind!) that I developed a much better appreciation for the art I’d loved for so long.

A couple of weeks ago my daughter and I were talking about the experience and I remarked I’d love to go see the exhibit again. Next thing I knew my daughter had booked us tickets while my younger daughter was home for the holidays. So yesterday we went and the experience was every bit as awe-inspiring as it was two years ago.

Sitting in the immersion room and having so many of Van Gogh’s paintings wash over you, moving in brilliant color, surrounding you on all sides, is something everyone who loves his works should experience once in their lives. I could have sat there for hours just taking it all in.

Here are some of the images that surrounded us on our journey into the soul of Van Gogh.

If you are also a lover of Van Gogh or the post-Impressionist artists, I think you will enjoy and appreciate The Van Gogh Experience.

Do you like Van Gogh’s works? Have you been to one of the Van Gogh Experience exhibits? If so, what did you think?