SXSWesteros

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IMG_0005 Winter is coming. Okay, that isn’t very accurate, but Winter has come to the Austin Music Hall.

Fans of the HBO series Game of Thrones can experience life in Westeros at Game of Thrones: The Exhibition. Featuring hundreds of props and replicas from all four seasons of the popular show, Game of Thrones: The Exhibition is a perfect destination for fantasy fans.

IMG_0032 From weapons to costumes to drink ware, the exhibition has a huge variety from the show.

Two of the featured attractions at the exhibition are the Iron Throne and the Oculus Rift. Both allow fans to immerse themselves into the wild world of Westeros.

The Iron Throne is an imposing, looming chair and the centerpiece of the throne room. Forged from 1,000 swords of the enemies of Aegon Targaryen, the throne is a daunting presence.

Fans of Parks and Recreation were treated to Ben Wyatt having a very nerdy freakout when he got to sit on the Iron Throne in a recent episode. Standing in line to take a picture on the throne, the excitement felt like Ben’s childish exuberance.

IMG_0027 The line was also abuzz with discussions about how to pose for the picture. Smiling? Scowling? Imposing? Indifference? All very important questions when ascending to the Iron Throne.

Even Grumpy Cat get in on the action. Naturally, she was scowling.

The other big highlight at the Game of Thrones exhibition was the Oculus Rift. The Oculus Rift is a virtual headset that allows the wearer to become completely immersed in a 3D environment.

The description for the Game of Thrones experience is chilling:

Night gathers, and now your watch begins.

You step into the elevator and take a last look around the courtyard of Castle Black before a bone-rattling ride lifts you 700 feet, depositing you in the whipping wind of the frigid north, high atop The Wall.

Then, as the red flames of torches flicker in the distance, you hear two telling blasts from the watchmen’s horns. The wildlings are coming.

The small cage that the Rift wearers are placed in rattles as the virtual elevator climbs the wall. IMG_0030 Once the gamer reaches the top, gusts of chilly wind are blasted into the booth.

And as you stand at the edge of the massive cliff, you remind yourself that you’re safe in a small cage in a room on the ground floor, and not, as it appears to all your senses, standing at the edge of a 700 foot tall cliff.

The Rift very well may be the next big step in home entertainment. It certainly made Westeros seem real.

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