Sensorio in Paso
Sensorio invites you to see Paso Robles through a colorful new hue. Here art, technology, and nature intersect to create a spectacular entertainment destination located in the heart of Wine Country. Sensorio was created by locals Ken and Bobbi Hunter as a destination for entertainment, exploration, meditation, adventure, and delight, honoring the natural topography of the landscape and intended to offer a wide range of amusing, mystical and kinetic experiences. They commissioned internationally acclaimed British artist Bruce Munro to create a sensory experience that goes beyond visual artistry to offer visitors a walkthrough kinetic adventure.
Since its installation, Sensorio has become one of Paso’s most popular attractions for visitors. Acclaimed nationwide and internationally, Sensorio was featured in The New York Times as #6 in “50 Places to Visit in 2020” and referred to as “stunning” by Smithsonian Magazine, while The Guardian noted that Munro had accomplished his artistic goal, as “[Sensorio] is art you feel, rather than art you view.”
Sensorio in Paso is an amazing experience for any and all travelers, whether you hope to spend an adventurous evening with the family, friends or coworkers, or enjoy a romantic evening with a loved one. On site amenities include local beer, wine, and several food options, with acoustic live music played nightly on the main lawn. The location is fully ADA compliant, and for a special treat, there is an elevated Terrace option that includes private seating overlooking the entire installation, with fire tables, Airstream bar, and other amenities. Sit back, relax and let Sensorio light up your world.
Gone Fishing
Now on view in a small valley adjacent to Light Towers, the reflective Gone Fishing offers a playful interpretation of an introspective pastime. Comprised of 30 semi-circular arrays of 25 multi-colored fishing rods, Gone Fishing at Sensorio represents Munro’s fascination with the contemplative act of standing by a stream, offering a stunning display. Each bloom, threaded with fiber optics, gently illuminates the surrounding hills. “To me, fishing has always conjured up the notion of removing oneself from the here and now to a place of peace and reflection,” says Munro.
The Artist: Bruce Munro
British artist Bruce Munro is best known for transforming art into an interactive experience with his immersive, large-scale installations. Light based and site specific exhibits, such as Light at Sensorio, are both his area of expertise and his favorite to create. Using the world around him for reference, he tailors each exhibit to highlight and enhance the land instead of change it. Years of personal experience go into the creation of each new work, from his years of journaling to his past career experience as a light manufacturer. Munro attributes a great deal of his success to his thorough involvement along every stage of the installment, from his initial idea until the final construction of the site. Inspired largely by his interest in stimuli and shared human experiences, his work aims to create a sensory and emotional response for the viewer. This, combined with his environmental consciousness and inventive urge to reuse materials has led to some of his most popular attractions to date.
His original inspiration for the Field of Light came from a vacation to Uluru, Australia in 1992. As he journeyed through the Red Desert he felt overwhelmingly connected to the landscape and its energy, heat, and light. He captured these emotions within his journal and over a decade later, he created the Field of Lights exhibit as an embodiment of this experience. The first Field of Lights was created in the field behind his family home in Wiltshire, but since then Munro has installed multiple exhibits, including one in Uluru in 2016 to honor his initial inspiration.
DIMENSIONS
The latest addition to Sensorio, Dimensions by HYBYCOZO, added "an interstellar village" to the ethereal exhibition. The exhibit features large-scale metal sculptures that explore the relationship between light and music, shadow and pattern, environment and form, creating an immersive audiovisual experience. Comprised of 44 metal polyhedral sculptures, visitors can enter four of the sculptures, including the center sculpture, a capacious piece created for up to 20 guests. It was designed by HYBYCOZO, the collaborative studio of artists Serge Beaulieu and Yelena Filipchuk, in cooperation with globally renowned musician Alen Hulsey, who performed and composed the 33-minute musical soundtrack primarily on the kanun. “DIMENSIONS was created to transport visitors to another world,” the artists say. “A place that transcends time and space by connecting the universal languages of geometry, light and music together.” They invite visitors to play with spinning interactive elements and notice how their own shadows become a part of the art as they move through the space.
FIREFLIES
Experience the enchanting "Fireflies" exhibit by artist Bruce Munro, featuring nearly 10,000 points of white light that dance and sway on optical fibers in the breeze. Inspired by Rudyard Kipling's Kim and Hermann Hess's Siddhartha, Munro's installation creates a magical atmosphere where light connects the mind, body, and soul with the natural environment. As Munro described when the exhibit debuted in 2023, "I hope this installation instills a sense of wonder and surprise in all who see it."
Arts & Entertainment
Celebrate your creative spirit as you immerse yourself in Paso's energetic music scene. Our town is bursting at the seams with entertainment, it seems you can find live music everywhere in Paso Robles. So you don’t miss out on the hottest entertainment spots, we’re breaking it down for you by experience.
Farmers Market
Held every Saturday morning and Tuesday evening on the north side of the Downtown square, each week dozens of local farmers man their booths, and are ready to give you a taste and a tale of their family farming philosophy.
