Then the scenery changes again. Visitors find
themselves standing on the steps of the Lincoln
Memorial and an arm’s length from King,
whose hand gestures and facial expressions
are brought to life. After delivering part of the
speech, he walks by and locks eyes, a moment
creators say is unparalleled.
“You’re not listening to it. You’re not reading it.
You are actually in it. And there is a point that
you’re listening to it for the first time because
you’re experiencing it, because you’re actually
there,” Davis said. “It’s those experiences that
are unforgettable.”
The permission from King’s estate was
also unusual.
Run by King’s children and known to be litigious,
the estate closely guards any use of King’s
image, name and work. The estate initially
balked at plans to put a life-size commemorative
King statue at the Georgia Capitol and didn’t
grant rights to speeches for the 2014 film
“Selma,” which won an Oscar for the best original
song and was nominated for best picture.
Tramz declined to discuss how the project
got the estate’s backing. Messages left
for Atlanta-based Intellectual Properties
Management, which manages King’s estate
and controls rights to his works and images,
weren’t returned.
The experience isn’t for the faint of heart.
Participants must sign a liability waiver warning
of possible risks, such as dizziness, and there’s
a built-in “decompression zone.” The 15-minute
experience isn’t recommended for children
under 13.