The world’s first Illuminarium — featuring a new kind of immersive experience — opened in Atlanta on July 1, 2021. The first exhibit there is WILD: A Safari Experience, and tickets are on sale now (see ticket info below).
If you haven’t been to this venue yet, or would like to visit again, there’s a TravelZoo deal that lets you save on tickets. See the details below.
Ground-breaking technology will allow you to step off the BeltLine Eastside Trail and on to the African continent. You’ll come face-to-face with some of the world’s most exotic animals — brought to life through laser projections on a 360-degree canvas that surrounds you and places you at the watering holes, the grassland, and the forest.
Unlike virtual reality, you don’t need a headset or special glasses. In that way, it’s a shared experience.
The exhibit is designed to involve all of your senses, through 3-D surround sound and in-floor haptics that let you feel the thud of an elephant’s footsteps. Even scent is piped in, to give you a strong sense of place.
We’ve seen these experiential exhibits quickly become a trend, as the pandemic made travel more problematic. So, while Illuminarium tickets are not particularly cheap by our usual standards here (they start at $30/child and $35/adult), they are far less expensive than an actual safari.
Because there has never been an Illuminarium before, the images and video you see here are all artistic renderings that were supplied in press materials. We’re invited to a media preview this week, and will update with actual photos as soon as we can!
All illustrative renderings are courtesy of Illuminarium
About Illuminarium
It’s exciting that Illuminarium has chosen Atlanta as the spot for its very first venue! The creators said in a media interview that they fell in love with the energy of the Atlanta BeltLine, after having a hard time finding a suitable spot in New York City.
Illuminarium has plans to open locations in Las Vegas in January and in Miami in the fall of 2022. Other future sites are being considered in New York, Chicago, Toronto, Montreal, Los Angeles, and Austin.
Visual effects, gentle floor vibration, immersive sound, and laser projection are all part of the experience — but nothing is designed to be purposely frightening.
There is also an Illuminarium After Dark experience, as well as a café and shop onsite. Details are below.
No closing date has been set for WILD. However, Illuminarium plans to premiere its next exhibit, SPACEWALK, some time in 2022.
According to the press release, Illuminarium will design and operate each spectacle in an environmentally conscious manner that acknowledges its social influence.
Location
Illuminarium Atlanta is located in the Common Ground complex, between TWO Urban Licks and New Realm Brewery. It is directly accessible from the Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail.
ADDRESS:
550 Somerset Terrace NE
Atlanta, GA 30306
See info below on Getting There & Parking
Illuminarium Hours
Note that there are extended hours during the first three weeks Illuminarium is open. The venue will open later in the morning once school resumes in August.
Daytime safari attraction
♦ From July 1 – 21
Monday thru Wednesday — 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Thursday thru Saturday — 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
♦ From July 22 – August 8
9 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day
♦ August 9 and onward
11 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day
Illuminarium After Dark
Thursday through Saturday, plus Sunday July 4th:
8 p.m. to midnight
Illuminarium Café
9 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day, serving breakfast, dinner, lunch, and snacks. Reservations encouraged. The Cafe is open to the public — you don’t need a paid admission to eat here.
Illuminarium Tickets & Pricing
You can buy tickets on the Illuminarium website or through Groupon (see below).
Each ticket is for a set date and entry time, to control capacity — so you’ll want to choose your arrival time carefully and plan to be on time (which means plenty of time to find parking, if you’re coming by car).
Advance purchase is strongly encouraged right now. Walk-ups can purchase tickets if any space is available for the next entry time.
Tickets for the standard experience are:
* Adults — $35
* Children 3-12 — $30
* Seniors (65+) — $32.50
NOTE that taxes and fees add about $4.50 to each ticket
Buy tickets online
These upgraded experiences are also available:
♦ Combo Experience includes:
- Admission to WILD: A Safari Experience
- WILD safari guidebook (your complete guide to the safari experience)
- One takeaway snack or soft drink
- starts at $35/child and $40/adult)
♦ All-Inclusive Experience includes:
- Admission to WILD: A Safari Experience
- WILD safari guidebook (your complete guide to the safari experience)
- $10 voucher that you can redeem in the Illuminarium Café or Shop
- Flexible entry time
- starts at $45/child and $50/adult
The TravelZoo deal
Through September 20th, you can save on Illuminarium tickets via TravelZoo.
The deal includes the standard experience ticket as follows:
- $26.75 (reg. $35) … Adult (Ages 13 and up)
- $22.75 (reg. $30) … Youth (Ages 6 to 12)
- $24.75 (reg. $32.50) … Senior (Ages 65 and up)
Note that taxes and fees are added at checkout — and in our test run, these added about $7 to a ticket. Depending on how many children and how many adults are in your party, you may save more through the Groupon deal below, because Groupon does not add tax or fees.
Buy the TravelZoo deal
To get the deal, you’ll be asked to become a TravelZoo member, which is free, but you’ll need to manage the emails you want to receive.
Buy tickets through Groupon
You can buy Illuminarium tickets through Groupon — although it’s not exactly offering a discount on the actual ticket price.
HOWEVER, you can save up to $6 per adult ticket because Groupon does not add sales tax or any fees to its prices.
Note that Groupon is not offering a lower price for kids age 3 to 12.
So, for comparison, a child’s ticket thru Illuminarium comes to $34.30 with tax and fees, while you’d pay $35 even thru Groupon. Still, you can come out ahead buying thru Groupon if there are more adults in your party than kids.
Groupon prices are as follows:
* Standard experience — $35 (no added fees)
* Combo experience — $40 (no added fees)
* All-inclusive experience — $50 (no added fees)
When you buy through Groupon, you’ll still pick a date and arrival time, listed in 15-minute increments.
NOTE: You can get up to 8% cashback from Rakuten (formerly Ebates) if you sign up and start a shopping session before you purchase your Groupon. You get the money at the end of each quarter and can have it sent to you via check or PayPal.
Enter to win 4 tickets
We hope to soon be hosting our own ticket giveaway here at Atlanta on the Cheap. But for now, you can head over the Illuminarium Instagram page and enter to win.
Illuminarium After Dark
This is an adult experience for those 21 and over with a valid ID.
The Illuminarium After Dark cocktail experience has a cover charge of $15 per person. Reservations are encouraged, and you can make them through OpenTable.
During these special evening events, Illuminarium will transform into a dynamic bar with an immersive environment. Through projection and audio, you”ll find yourself in fantastic and far-flung settings.
Illuminarium Café
The café offers both indoor seating and an outdoor patio facing the BeltLine. During WILD, it will offer authentic dishes, beer, and wine from the African continent, along with Southern fare.
Visitors can also experience The Illuminarium Café, offering both indoor seating and an outdoor patio facing the BeltLine. The café will be an extension of the immersive experience content, serving authentic dishes, beer, and wine from the African continent, along with local southern favorites.
The café is open to the public and does not require a paid admission.
View the cafe menu
Illuminarium Shop
Buy souvenirs of your experience, plus arts and crafts objects sourced directly from Africa.
According to the press release, the shop will carry unique items such as woven baskets, beaded jewelry, and hand-carved wooden decor sourced from artisan networks in Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa.
The shop is open to the public and does not require a paid admission.
Preview experiences on YouTube
♦ Illuminarium ATL: Architectural Fly-through
♦ 11ALIVE reports on Illuminarium Atlanta
Getting there and Parking
Illuminarium Atlanta is located in the Common Ground complex, between TWO Urban Licks and New Realm Brewery.
It is directly accessible from the Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail. You can walk there from Ponce City Market and Krog Street Market.
The address is:
550 Somerset Terrace NE
Atlanta, GA 30306
On site parking is valet only ($3 for Illuminarium visitors with proof of admission).
The paid public lots in walking distance of Illuminarium include:
* North & Line Public Parking at 385 N. Angier Ave
* Kroger BeltLine Parking at 725 Ponce De Leon Ave NE
* Ponce City Market Parking at 675 Ponce De Leon Ave NE
MARTA or a ride service is recommended.
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