Todd Swank: Luminiscence Lights Up the Minneapolis Basilica

November 23, 2025

Luminiscence Lights Up the Minneapolis Basilica

Todd Swank's Diary Entry for November 23, 2025

Caught up with my old Oracle Direct crew for lunch on Monday. George, Ross, and Orlando still bring the same chaotic energy they had back in the cube farm. Half the time we’re laughing, the other half we’re arguing about football like it’s a contact sport. Two Bears fans, one Packers fan, and me trying to defend the Vikings without pulling a hamstring. Still, for an hour, it felt like old times in the best way.

Saturday night we met up with our good friends Sue and Ron Korkowski before heading to this thing called Luminiscence at the Minneapolis Basilica. I didn’t really know what we were walking into, but since we were planning to spend the rest of the night inside a church, we figured it was only fair to stop at Hell’s Kitchen first. Seemed like a good chance to get a few sins in before the evening’s unofficial absolution.

This was my first-ever visit to the Basilica in Minneapolis, and I honestly didn’t know what to expect. The place is massive up close, way bigger and more detailed than anything you appreciate driving by on Hennepin. It was built in the early 1900s and became the first basilica in the entire United States, and it shows off with every inch of stone, arches, and ornate design. You walk in and immediately get why this building has its own reputation.

Once the lights dropped, the whole place came alive with this show called Luminiscence. It’s basically a full 360-degree light and sound takeover where the stone walls turn into moving artwork. They project color, stained-glass patterns, history, all of it, while a live choir and orchestra push the whole thing into goosebump territory. It started in Europe and sold out everywhere it went, and now Minneapolis gets to be the first stop in the U.S. You don’t just watch it. You feel the whole building wake up around you.

What really blew me away was the tech behind this thing. The video mapping was so precise it felt like the entire Basilica was changing shape right in front of us. Columns, statues, arches… everything looked like it was melting into new colors and textures. I’ve never seen a light show even close to this level. And with the live classical music filling the whole space – Bach, Beethoven, Vivaldi, all of it – the place didn’t just look different, it felt different. It was honestly the most impressive blend of tech and art I’ve ever experienced in a church or anywhere else for that matter.

I didn’t expect to enjoy this nearly as much as I did, but the whole thing was honestly incredible. The way the projections, narration and music pulled the Basilica’s history together made it feel less like a show and more like the building was telling its own story. Every time the colors shifted, you’d catch something new you hadn’t seen the first time. By the end, I just sat there taking it all in. Not bad for a random Saturday night in Minneapolis where I thought I was just going to look at some pretty lights.

We always have a great time with Sue and Ron, and this whole night was Sue’s idea. She’s constantly finding these fun, quirky experiences we never would’ve discovered on our own, and somehow they always end up being a blast. This one definitely landed. Nights like this remind me how lucky we are to have friends who pull us into new adventures. Can’t wait to see where the next one takes us.

@toddswank Aaron Rodgers is officially selling his Green Bay house… and honestly, even the place looks relieved. Steelers U-Haul is already warming up in the driveway. #A #AaronRodgersG #GreenBayP #PackersS #SteelersNFL ♬ Movin' Out (Anthony's Song) - Billy Joel