The Mary Rose, Henry VIII’s flagship which sunk in 1545, is a significant maritime archaeological site. The discovery, excavation and 1982 raising of the ship are documented extensively(Dobbs, 2020; Hildred, 2011; Marsden, 2003, 2009; McKee, 1982; Quinn et al., 1997; Rule, 1981); the project is a recognised as a major achievement in archaeological method, maritime recovery and large-scale conservation, culminating in a purpose-built museum. However, questions persist regarding public relevance: How can maritime museums translate the complexities of underwater excavation into meaningful, accessible, and emotionally engaging experiences for audiences who might otherwise feel disconnected from archaeology or maritime history?

Research suggests that immersive digital media, particularly emotionally engaging multisensory experiences, can address these challenges (Guo et al., 2023; Jung et al., 2016; Kidd & McAvoy, 2019; Rodley, 2025). This paper examines the emotional and interpretive impact of Dive the Mary Rose 4D, a multisensory immersive experience created by the Mary Rose Trust to communicate the ship’s loss, rediscovery and recovery to a range of audiences. The evaluation formed part of AHRC UNPATH’d Waters’ (Sloane & Consortium, 2025) research into how digital technologies can expand public access and engagement with maritime heritage. The 4D experience therefore offers a valuable case study for assessing how immersive, sensory-rich environments shape visitor emotion, engagement and meaning-making.

The 4D experience reconstructs the multi-century narrative of the Mary Rose; from Tudor diving attempts in 1545 to the twentieth-century recovery. Using archival footage, CGI, artistic reconstructed narrative and a purpose-built theatre equipped with motion, scent and environmental effects, it simulates a “dive” to the wreck, revealing excavation processes and key moments of salvage. Developed with input from original diving archaeologists and narrated by members of the 1980s team, the experience highlights the labour, risks and collaborative achievements that underpin maritime archaeology.

This paper positions the Mary Rose 4D experience within affective heritage, which emphasises emotional and embodied dimensions of engagement, where visitors actively mobilise emotions to reinforce or challenge narratives (Smith, 2020; Smith & Campbell, 2015). Immersive storytelling research (Gröppel-Wegener & Kidd, 2019; Kenderdine, 2016; Kidd & McAvoy, 2019) suggests multisensory narratives can foster empathy, presence and reflective engagement. However, immersion can also flatten emotional registers when affect overwhelms interpretation, indicating that immersion and empathy are not linear (Ariya et al., 2025; Kidd & McAvoy, 2019). Empirical evidence on audience emotional responses to immersive heritage remains limited. Drawing on Smith’s (2020) concept of “registers of engagement”, this paper contributes mixed-method empirical evidence from the Mary Rose 4D evaluation, offering insights into how emotional engagement functions in practice within an immersive maritime heritage context.

Data were collected through visitor observations, post-experience surveys and follow-up focus groups, within UNPATH’d Waters’ cultural-mapping framework (Perry et al., 2024). Observations captured spontaneous behaviours and engagement patterns within the 4D theatre and adjacent galleries. The evaluation engaged a diverse set of audiences; including general museum visitors, academic researchers and members of the local Bangladeshi community; ensuring the study reflects a wide spectrum of perspectives and supports more inclusive approaches to digital maritime heritage. Postexperience surveys measured emotional impact, engagement, and perceived cultural value using 5- point Likert scales across experiential dimensions, alongside targeted statements on novelty and storytelling. Results indicate high overall satisfaction (mean score ≈4.78), with 87% of respondents agreeing that the experience was unique and offered new narratives. Participants rated the experience positively for personal relevance, intellectual stimulation, and exposure to new ideas. Focus groups provided deeper qualitative insight, contextualising survey and observational findings and revealing how emotional responses related to reflective engagement and interpretive meaning-making. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively and inferentially to explore demographic variation and correlations between emotional intensity and immersion, while qualitative data were examined thematically. This methodology captures both immediate affective responses and the broader interpretive significance.

Findings reveal consistently high experiential ratings across demographic groups, with strong perceptions of memorability, narrative coherence and emotional connection. These effects were observed across all groups, underscoring the potential of immersive design to engage diverse audiences, including visitors with no prior maritime history connection. Emotional intensity was high overall, with surprise and inspiration most frequently reported. Discomfort emerged as a meaningful affective state associated with awareness of the risk and physical effort during underwater excavation, suggesting that negative-valence emotions can function constructively within heritage interpretation. Results also demonstrate strong correlations between emotional intensity and immersion, indicating that the multisensory design amplifies both affective response and narrative presence.

Qualitative accounts further highlight how visitors felt “drawn into the divers’ world,” gaining an embodied appreciation of archaeological labour and the challenges of recovery. Many participants described being “moved” or newly aware of the operation’s scale and complexity, linking emotional reactions to reflections on underwater archaeology, technological change and the stewardship of wreck sites. Themes suggest that affective engagement contributes to deeper understanding and reflective thought, supporting arguments in digital heritage that immersive storytelling can expand interpretive capacity and cultivate more sustained connections with the past.

The Dive the Mary Rose 4D experience demonstrates the potential of immersive, multisensory storytelling to engage diverse audiences with maritime heritage, while also revealing practical challenges of integrating such experiences into museum settings. The findings emphasise the need to consider spatial planning, visitor flow, and capacity to ensure emotional impact is balanced with interpretive goals and accessibility. These insights connect to wider debates in digital heritage, supporting arguments that immersive experiences can transform museum interpretation by fostering emotional engagement that deepens understanding, presence, and curiosity. At the same time, the study highlights ethical considerations: emotionally charged narratives, particularly those involving risk, or the physical demands of excavation, require careful curatorial framing to avoid romanticisation or unintended emotional overload, particularly in maritime heritage contexts shaped by conflict, environmental change and loss. Future research should explore longitudinal impacts, cross-site comparisons, and the effectiveness of different immersive modalities to inform the design, ethics, and implementation of digital maritime heritage.