diff --git a/scripts/build-area.js b/scripts/build-area.js
index 2834a1f..cbab702 100755
--- a/scripts/build-area.js
+++ b/scripts/build-area.js
@@ -739,6 +739,16 @@ function cesiumPreviewHtml(glbName, metadataName, routeName, vehicleModelName, a
   </div>
   <div id="diagnostics">Loading diagnostics...</div>
   <div id="status">Loading ${escapeHtml(glbName)}...</div>
+  <div id="loadingOverlay">
+    <div class="loading-card">
+      <div class="loading-spinner" aria-hidden="true"></div>
+      <div class="loading-copy">
+        <strong>Loading scene</strong>
+        <span>${escapeHtml(areaId)}</span>
+      </div>
+      <div class="loading-bar" aria-hidden="true"><span></span></div>
+    </div>
+  </div>
   <script>window.OSM_ASSET_PREVIEW_CONFIG = ${escapeScriptJson(JSON.stringify(previewConfig))};</script>
   <script src="cesium-preview.js"></script>
 </body>
diff --git a/scripts/lib/cesium-preview.css b/scripts/lib/cesium-preview.css
index e963a59..5d82b2b 100644
--- a/scripts/lib/cesium-preview.css
+++ b/scripts/lib/cesium-preview.css
@@ -9,6 +9,15 @@ body,
   background: #d9e0e2;
 }
 
+#cesiumContainer {
+  opacity: 0;
+  transition: opacity 180ms ease-out;
+}
+
+body.scene-ready #cesiumContainer {
+  opacity: 1;
+}
+
 #controls,
 #diagnostics,
 #status {
@@ -22,6 +31,110 @@ body,
   box-shadow: 0 8px 24px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.22);
 }
 
+#loadingOverlay {
+  position: absolute;
+  inset: 0;
+  z-index: 3;
+  display: grid;
+  place-items: center;
+  background: #d9e0e2;
+  color: #1b2528;
+  font-size: 13px;
+  letter-spacing: 0;
+  transition: opacity 220ms ease-out, visibility 220ms ease-out;
+}
+
+.loading-card {
+  display: grid;
+  grid-template-columns: 32px minmax(180px, 260px);
+  gap: 12px;
+  align-items: center;
+  padding: 14px 16px;
+  border: 1px solid rgba(70, 86, 90, 0.16);
+  border-radius: 6px;
+  background: rgba(244, 248, 248, 0.88);
+  box-shadow: 0 12px 34px rgba(54, 68, 72, 0.20);
+}
+
+.loading-spinner {
+  width: 28px;
+  height: 28px;
+  border: 3px solid rgba(42, 67, 72, 0.18);
+  border-top-color: #147d8a;
+  border-radius: 50%;
+  animation: loading-spin 840ms linear infinite;
+}
+
+.loading-copy {
+  display: grid;
+  gap: 3px;
+}
+
+.loading-copy strong {
+  font-size: 13px;
+  font-weight: 650;
+}
+
+#loadingOverlay span {
+  color: #526064;
+}
+
+.loading-bar {
+  grid-column: 1 / -1;
+  position: relative;
+  height: 3px;
+  overflow: hidden;
+  border-radius: 999px;
+  background: rgba(42, 67, 72, 0.12);
+}
+
+.loading-bar span {
+  position: absolute;
+  inset: 0 auto 0 0;
+  width: 42%;
+  border-radius: inherit;
+  background: #147d8a;
+  animation: loading-bar 1.2s ease-in-out infinite;
+}
+
+@keyframes loading-spin {
+  to {
+    transform: rotate(360deg);
+  }
+}
+
+@keyframes loading-bar {
+  0% {
+    transform: translateX(-110%);
+  }
+  55% {
+    transform: translateX(70%);
+  }
+  100% {
+    transform: translateX(250%);
+  }
+}
+
+body.scene-ready #loadingOverlay {
+  visibility: hidden;
+  opacity: 0;
+}
+
+body.scene-error #loadingOverlay {
+  color: #5b1414;
+}
+
+body.scene-error .loading-spinner {
+  border-color: rgba(120, 30, 30, 0.18);
+  border-top-color: #9f2f2f;
+  animation-play-state: paused;
+}
+
+body.scene-error .loading-bar span {
+  background: #9f2f2f;
+  animation-play-state: paused;
+}
+
 #controls {
   top: 12px;
   left: 12px;
diff --git a/scripts/lib/cesium-preview.js b/scripts/lib/cesium-preview.js
index 7b2e380..49822a6 100644
--- a/scripts/lib/cesium-preview.js
+++ b/scripts/lib/cesium-preview.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
   const config = window.OSM_ASSET_PREVIEW_CONFIG || {};
   const statusEl = document.getElementById("status");
   const diagnosticsEl = document.getElementById("diagnostics");
+  const loadingOverlay = document.getElementById("loadingOverlay");
   const toggleCruise = document.getElementById("toggleCruise");
   const toggleFollow = document.getElementById("toggleFollow");
   const toggleScene = document.getElementById("toggleScene");
@@ -22,14 +23,17 @@
   // from a control the user just touched. Keep the summary so the transient
   // note can be replaced instead of destroying it.
   let baseStatus = "";
+  const PREVIEW_BACKGROUND = "#d9e0e2";
 
   Cesium.Ion.defaultAccessToken = "";
 
   async function main() {
+    setLoadingMessage("Loading scene", config.areaId || "");
     const metadata = await fetchJson(config.metadataName);
     const routeData = await fetchOptionalJson(config.routeName);
     const placement = scenePlacement(metadata);
     const viewer = createViewer();
+    setLoadingMessage("Loading model", config.glbName || "");
     const assets = await loadSceneAssets(viewer, metadata, placement);
     const cruise = addVehicleCruises(viewer, routeData, config.vehicleModelName);
     const cameras = createCameraPresets(viewer, metadata, placement, cruise);
@@ -40,6 +44,9 @@
     cameras.overview();
     baseStatus = summaryText(metadata, assets, cruise);
     setStatus(baseStatus);
+    setLoadingMessage("Preparing view", "finalizing materials");
+    await waitForStableFrames(viewer);
+    document.body.classList.add("scene-ready");
     // Handle for the browser console and for headless checks: everything else
     // in here is closed over by the IIFE and unreachable from outside.
     window.osmPreview = { viewer, metadata, placement, assets, cruise, cameras };
@@ -78,16 +85,49 @@
       selectionIndicator: false,
       baseLayer: false
     });
-    viewer.scene.globe.depthTestAgainstTerrain = true;
-    viewer.scene.backgroundColor = Cesium.Color.fromCssColorString("#d9e0e2");
+    viewer.scene.globe.show = false;
+    viewer.scene.globe.depthTestAgainstTerrain = false;
+    viewer.scene.backgroundColor = Cesium.Color.fromCssColorString(PREVIEW_BACKGROUND);
     viewer.scene.skyAtmosphere.show = false;
     viewer.scene.skyBox.show = false;
     viewer.scene.sun.show = false;
     viewer.scene.moon.show = false;
-    viewer.scene.globe.baseColor = Cesium.Color.fromCssColorString("#d4dcde");
+    viewer.scene.globe.baseColor = Cesium.Color.fromCssColorString(PREVIEW_BACKGROUND);
     return viewer;
   }
 
+  function setLoadingMessage(title, detail) {
+    if (!loadingOverlay) return;
+    const titleEl = loadingOverlay.querySelector("strong");
+    const detailEl = loadingOverlay.querySelector("span");
+    if (titleEl) titleEl.textContent = title;
+    if (detailEl) detailEl.textContent = detail || "";
+  }
+
+  function waitForStableFrames(viewer) {
+    return new Promise((resolve) => {
+      const started = performance.now();
+      let frames = 0;
+      let done = false;
+      let remove = function () {};
+      function finish() {
+        if (done) return;
+        done = true;
+        remove();
+        resolve();
+      }
+      remove = viewer.scene.postRender.addEventListener(() => {
+        frames += 1;
+        const elapsed = performance.now() - started;
+        if ((frames >= 14 && elapsed >= 650) || elapsed >= 2800) {
+          finish();
+        }
+      });
+      window.setTimeout(finish, 3200);
+      viewer.scene.requestRender();
+    });
+  }
+
   function scenePlacement(metadata) {
     const anchor = metadata.anchor || {};
     const longitude = Number(anchor.longitude || 0);
@@ -626,5 +666,7 @@
   main().catch((error) => {
     console.error(error);
     setStatus("Failed to load Cesium preview: " + error.message);
+    document.body.classList.add("scene-error");
+    setLoadingMessage("Failed to load scene", error.message);
   });
 }());