SEISM!C… a new underground experience

Traditionally, when visitors to the Heights of Abraham went on a Masson Cavern tour, they were accompanied by a guide who explained how the caverns were created. It’s a long, complex story, and over the years, we have tried various ways to explain how multiple geological events made this happen. In 2013, we were asked to experiment with an AV show in the cavern, but the technology wasn’t up to it, so the guided cavern tour continued in a traditional way.

From the lessons we learnt in 2013, we realized that for a projected AV to work on the cavern walls, we required very high-powered projectors. Unlike a cinema screen, the rock absorbed light and presented focusing challenges due to the irregular surfaces. Detailed images were not possible, so simplified graphic illustrations would be necessary for each scene. A narrated audio also posed problems due to the cavern’s acoustics. The specialist we collaborated with had never encountered this type of environment before!  

Then, in 2023, high-powered, waterproof, moving-head projectors and speakers became available that could provide what we wanted. We developed a plan, undertook research, wrote the script, created visual effects, produced a score and directed the technicians and programmers through the installation process. The show is called SEISM!C, it tells the story of key moments in the Earth’s history and how the Masson Cavern was formed. Now, this new creative presentation adds a very dramatic, contextualized and informative experience, helping visitors appreciate some of the dramatic events that took place during the last 350 million years.