A visualization system for a wellbore environment includes a graphics processor for creating a computer rendered visual model of a well, and optionally a drill string, based on data sets of depth-varying and/or time-varying parameters of the well. The model is then displayed on a graphics display. A user interface facilitates user navigation along the length of the well to any selected region therein, and further permits user adjustment of orientation of the displayed renderings as well as a temporal selection of the time-varying data to be displayed. Simulated, real, or a combination of simulated and real wellbore data, which may be steady state, transient, or real-time data, may be visually depicted at any selected region. This provides the user with a visual indication of the wellbore environment as the user navigates the visualization spatially and temporally.