The use of immersive Virtual Reality (VR) technology is a relatively recent trend enjoyed
almost exclusively by the academic, military, and industrial research and development communities.
However, as VR technologies mature, research is expanding from the military and scientific
visualisation realm into more multidisciplinary areas, such as education, art, culture, and the
humanities. As representative institutions involved in the research and presentation of these fields,
museums, cultural centres, and entertainment venues may be in a better position to make use of
advanced virtual reality technologies in order to investigate their educational potential while
effectively shaping how they deliver public education and recreation. This paper will discuss the
issues involved in using state-of-the-art interactive virtual environments in cultural public spaces by
presenting the virtual environments developed for learners of all ages at the Foundation of the
Hellenic World (FHW), a cultural heritage institution of informal education located in Athens.