Mildenhall Museum is touring a mixed reality exhibit of the Mildenhall Treasure, built by the Ipswich studio Xibitr, and it is at Haverhill Arts Centre in Suffolk until 12 November. Visitors pay £2 for a 20-minute slot.

A ploughman found the 34 pieces of 4th-century Roman silver tableware near Mildenhall in 1942. The originals are in the British Museum, and Mildenhall Museum displays replicas. Xibitr built its 3D models of the silver from those replicas.

What visitors do inside the mixed reality exhibit

Each visitor walks into an empty space wearing a mixed reality headset. A virtual spade and brush hang at the waist, for digging the 3D silver out of the ground and brushing it clean.

“You can walk around, pick the pieces up with your hands and look all round them,” Ian Dance, Xibitr’s CEO and co-founder, told the BBC. “We’re also asking people to be archaeologists.”

“Digging the treasure up using a virtual spade and brushing it off using a virtual brush is quite an amazing experience,” said Kay Figgis, a trustee of Mildenhall Museum.

Where the mixed reality exhibit tours, and what it costs

The tour began at The Apex in Bury St Edmunds from 29 to 31 October. At Haverhill Arts Centre, from 10 to 12 November, staff explain the equipment and guide each visitor. The National Horseracing Museum in Newmarket hosts the exhibit from 12 to 15 January 2027.

A grant from Suffolk County Council’s Culture Project Fund paid for the project, with support from the Mildenhall Museum Society.

“Later in 2027 the Museum will have a permanent VR experience,” said Lloyd Hughes, the museum’s treasurer. Figgis told the BBC the museum will keep two headsets for it.

What this means for museums and XR studios

For small museums, Mildenhall Museum turned replicas it already owned into a touring exhibit, paid for by a council culture grant and sold at £2 a slot. For XR studios, one commission gave Xibitr a three-venue tour and a permanent two-headset install at Mildenhall Museum.

FAQ

What is the Mildenhall Treasure mixed reality exhibit?

A mixed reality exhibit by Xibitr and Mildenhall Museum in which visitors dig up and handle 3D models of the Roman silver found near Mildenhall in 1942.

How much does a ticket cost?

£2 per person for a 20-minute slot at Haverhill Arts Centre, 10 to 12 November 2026.

Where does the mixed reality museum exhibit go next?

To the National Horseracing Museum in Newmarket from 12 to 15 January 2027, then to two permanent headsets at Mildenhall Museum in 2027.

Where is the original Mildenhall Treasure?

In the British Museum in London. Mildenhall Museum holds replicas, which Xibitr used to build its 3D models.