The Lascaux IV Caves museum in Montignac
Eric solé

Lascaux International Center for Cave Art

Vézère Valley, France

In 1963, the French government closed the Lascaux cave, restricting access to some of the world’s best examples of prehistoric art over concerns that carbon dioxide from visitors’ breathing might damage the 20,000-year-old creations. Now, more than 50 years later, you can visit the next best thing: a near perfect $64 million replica, located right next door. The Snohetta-designed complex features some 600 prehistoric paintings and 1,000 engravings, all painstakingly re-created by a team of two dozen artists working from physical castings and advanced 3-D digital scans or the original artwork. “There were moments when I realized that I must be doing the exact gestures and movements of the prehistoric artist,” one team member told NPR. “And that’s when a little shiver would go down my spine.” —Kate Rockwood

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