Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 11/8/22

Fernbank Announces Grand Opening Date and Opens Ticket Sales for “WildWoods: AGLOW”

Open Select Evenings from Nov. 17, 2022-March 5, 2023, the All-Ages Experience Artfully Combines Projection, Illumination and Sound to Reveal Nature’s Magical Stories.

As announced in conjunction with Fernbank Museum’s 30th anniversary last month, “WildWoods: AGLOW” will officially open on Nov. 17, 2022, continuing on select evenings through March 5, 2023. Tickets are now available for purchase at
FernbankMuseum.org/AGLOW.

This all-new, limited-run nighttime experience offers a different experience within WildWoods, a 10-acre natural habitat behind the museum. Highlighting the complex, connected and sometimes-hidden stories that flourish in the surrounding forest, this innovative experience brings together the vast, natural environment with the latest innovations in immersive design and technology. Transformative illuminations, large-scale projections and original music
compositions beckon guests into a nighttime wonderland of biodiversity.

Inspired by native flora and fauna – and unlike anything else in Atlanta – this multi-sensory experience reveals the wonder of nature through a range of glowing, interactive and panoramic scenes across five distinct zones. 

“We are always exploring exciting ways to engage audiences with science and nature while tickling the imagination through innovative and fun programming,” said Fernbank President and CEO, Jennifer Grant Warner. “WildWoods: AGLOW is an exciting experience that will reveal nature’s magnificent wonders through beautiful, artistic and intentional uses of projection that enhance our understanding of the ecosystem that connects us all.”

As guests enter the experience, they first discover oversized seeds glowing with interactive light, signaling the origin of forest growth and inspiring a deeper connection with nature. Throughout the experience, guests will encounter nocturnal animals, forest projections, and interactive lighting integrated with the surrounding plants and forested environment. Another zone features larger-than-life incandescent mushrooms that can respond to guest movement with a musical symphony of illuminated communication. Developed in partnership with Thinkwell, a leading design and production agency creating immersive, content-driven experiences for brands and companies around the world, “WildWoods: AGLOW” is the third endeavor between the two organizations, following the opening of the award-winning children’s exhibit NatureQuest in 2011 and the creation of a series of outdoor exhibits in WildWoods, which expanded Fernbank’s experiences into the outdoors in 2016. Thinkwell has also previously designed and opened outdoor, nighttime experiences, including Omega a la Nuit and Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Fernbank once again, this time with creative and technical development driven by our teams in Montréal. The focus on innovation, along with strategic partnership and shared creative vision has allowed this project to flourish,” said Joe Zenas, Thinkwell’s CEO. “Wildwoods: AGLOW highlights the best of nature, immersion and
engagement in a unique and beautiful way, and we’re so excited to bring it to the public in the coming weeks.”

“WildWoods: AGLOW” is a limited-run nighttime experience for visitors of all ages and abilities, offered on select evenings Nov. 17, 2022 – March 5, 2023. Attendance will be available only to guests ages 21 and older on evening that coincide with Fernbank After Dark: Dec. 9, 2022; Jan. 13, 2023, Feb. 10, 2023. Availability, times and prices vary by date with special discounts for Fernbank Members. Tickets range from $20.95-$39.95 and are available at FernbankMuseum.org/AGLOW.