Immersing Myself in the One Piece Mercer Labs Exhibit

On the eve of this year’s New York Comic Con, I was given the opportunity to preview the new One Piece immersive exhibit at Mercer Labs, an art museum in downtown Manhattan.

While not technically a part of NYCC, Mercer Labs timed the opening of the exhibit with the start of the con, October 9. Working in conjunction with Toei Animation, the One Piece exhibit takes you on an adventure with Luffy and his Straw Hats specifically based on the Land of Wano arc.

As you walk through the museum, you’re surrounded by One Piece – literally in some cases. One room is floor-to-ceiling screens showing clips from the anime. And though some rooms make a lot of sense, some are just bizarre. Admittedly, I am not a huge fan of One Piece, so I was almost definitely missing some connections. Like, I can understand how a room where you can play with sand (kinetic sand – no mess!) would be related to a show about pirates, but watching a mechanical crane-like arm dig through the sand just seemed a little weird.

My favorite room featured screens on the walls and floor, and showed the Thousand Sunny floating on the open sea. If you stayed long enough, you got to watch the sun set, the stars come out, and the sun rise again. A close second would be the Sakura cave, where the walls were entirely made of sakura blossoms.

I also loved the area near the end where you got the chance to sit down and color the Straw Hats’ wanted posters. It was very relaxing! (There’s also a way to have your art projected onto the wall, but I am not entirely sure how to go about that.)

Speaking of relaxing, there is a meditation room with padded walls, the cushioned floor dotted with pillows. You’re encouraged to lay down, but though the music is soothing, it’s kind of loud. Also, I’m old, and getting up again was not fun.

I went through the entire exhibit (they recommend you allow 60-90 minutes), and it was definitely very interesting. I enjoyed some rooms more than others, but it’s for sure a very unique experience.

Of course, I got to visit the exhibit for free (with free food!). General admission is $58, which is pretty pricy even for New York City, but again, I am not a One Piece fan. If you are a One Piece fan, you may find that price worth it. You may even want to shell out the additional $20 to get a VIP package, which comes with a poster, lanyard, mochi, and a signature seltzer. (I had the seltzer. It’s very good!)

If you’re going to be in NYC and you’re a fan of One Piece, you may absolutely love the opportunity to have this one-of-a-kind experience. The exhibition runs through November 30 and tickets can be purchased on the Mercer Labs website.

Stay tuned for more coverage from NYCC 2025!

Author: Jamie Sugah

Jamie has a BA in English with a focus in creative writing from The Ohio State University. She self-published her first novel, The Perils of Long Hair on a Windy Day, which is available through Amazon. She is currently an archivist and lives in New York City with her demon ninja vampire cat. She covers television, books, movies, anime, and conventions in the NYC area.

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